Control & Chaos
by Kimblee Whitehead
Summary: Long ago, Pearl sacrificed herself to save Rose from a monster. But when she retreated into her gem, she took a bit of the monster with her. When the monster threatens to bring havoc once more, Steven and the Gems find that their greatest threat is now one of their own. Will they save the world, or fall at the sword of their friend?
1. Prologue

**Control &amp; Chaos**

**Prologue**

* * *

The simplest of missions could go wrong in a heartbeat. And that was exactly what happened.

_Clash, clang_

The creature swung it's blade towards Pearl, who met it with her own. The creature was tall and lanky, humanoid. It had no eyes, no nose, simply a menacing smile. It's movements were jerky and jagged. Fast. Random. A complete contrast to Pearl's calculated form.

_Clash, clang, clash_

Pearl didn't have the support of the other gems in this fight. In an attempt to cover more ground, they had all split up. Pearl was realizing just how much of a mistake that was.

The creature thrusted it's blade towards her. Pearl quickly jumped out of it's path. That was close. Before she had time to recover, it was at it again.

_Clash, clang, clang, clash, clang_

The creature's blade grazed her arm. Pearl let out a yelp. This thing was chaos. Pure chaos. She couldn't seem to get the upper hand. She gripped her sword tighter. She wouldn't allow herself to lose to this...monster. In one swift movement, she knocked the blade out of its hand. It melted to a puddle of black liquid as it touched the ground. Pearl let out a small smile.

Victory was hers.

The creature stood as still as a statue. Pearl raised her sword to deal the finishing blow. The creature opened its mouth, and let out a sound. A terrible, unholy combination of a scream and a laugh. Pearl clenched her sword tighter. This was it.

She charged the creature, thrusting her sword to it. But, the moment before her sword made contact with it's body, it simply bent out of the way. It's screaming laugh became louder. Almost deafening. A long arm shot out from it's back, reaching behind her, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt. It lifted her up. The two were now face to face.

Before she could do anything, it started to swing her around. In a instant, it had thrown her away.

_Crash_

She hit the wall, and sunk to the ground with a thud. Pearl took a deep breath, pushing herself up. Whatever this _monster _was, it wouldn't be taking her down that easy.

All of the sudden, a large, hollow black eye opened up on the top of the creature's forehead. The two locked eyes. For a brief moment, both were still. All was silent. The monster's deviled grin seemed to grown. It reached one of it's arms behind it, and pulled out the arm that had grown on it's back. The arm violently twitched and twisted, and turned into another blade.

Pearl cringed, but never looked away. She couldn't afford to. The creature raised it's new weapon and charged towards her.

"What are you?" she asked. Never, in all her years, had she ever faced a creature like this. Pearl quickly prepared her sword, ready to finish the battle, once and for all.

But as it started to get close, it's direction changed. It took a sharp turn right. Pearl stopped. What was it doing? She looked towards it's direction...

And saw it charging towards Rose Quartz. Rose lifted her arm, her shield materializing in front of her. The creature crashed it's sword into the shield. The force of impact was more the Rose calculated, and the pink gem was sent flying back.

"Rose!" Pearl yelled. The monster wasn't giving the other gem enough time to recover herself. It was next to her before either of them could think. Rose looked up in horror as it raised it's blade to deliver a finishing blow.

Pearl between them, just as the sword came down. The sword impaled her, straight through the chest.

"No!" Rose screamed. Pearl gave out a cry, but she wasn't done. Not yet.

She raised her own sword, and thrusted it into the creature's eye. The monster emitted a scream unlike any other, as a black liquid oozed out of it's eye. With all the strength she had left, she pulled the sword down, cutting the monster in two.

The monster exploded into millions of drops of black liquid. Pearl let out a pained scream, she had strained herself too much. With one final cry, she retreated back into her gem. But no one noticed she brought something with her.

The liquid started to steam as it hit the ground. It crawled its way towards each other forming into a small, black sphere.

Pearl's gem landed on the ground with a clang, it's host now recovering inside. Rose gently picked up her friend, and smiled.

"Thank you."

Garnet and Amethyst came running over.

"We heard screaming, is everyone-" Amethyst's sentence was cut short, as she noticed Pearl's gem. She gasped. Rose smiled at the purple gem, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"She'll be okay," she said. She walked over to the black sphere, and formed the protective bubble over it. But that's when Rose noticed something was off about the artifact.

There was a small chip missing from it. Rose looked over the artifact. How in the world?

And then she remembered. The creatures blade had never turned into liquid. It stayed in Pearl.

It retreated with her into the gem.

"Oh no."

What none of them knew, was that this little mistake would cost all of them more then they could ever imagine.

* * *

Hey guys, thanks for reading. I really appreciate it. I haven't written a fanfiction in a while, and I'm really excited about this one. Hopefully, all of you enjoy. And again, thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: To Be a Criminal

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 1: To Be a Criminal**

* * *

There were many things the Gems had come to expect returning home from mission. Steven playing a video game, Steven showing them a new song on his ukulele, Steven giving them donuts or frybits, or maybe some of that awful fish pizza.

Steven huddle in a ball, crying on the couch, was not one of those expected things. The three gems exchanged glances, silently deciding who would be the one to ask Steven what was wrong. Pearl took a cautious step forward, the other two close behind her.

"Steven?" she asked. The boy quickly turned around to face them, a tear stained face and a runny nose.

"I'm a criminal!" he exclaimed, "A horrible, devious, class-A criminal!"

None of the Gems knew how to respond to that. It was almost funny because it was, well, Steven. Pearl looked at the two other gems.

"You guys take the artifact to the temple," she said, "I'll handle this one."

The two nodded and went off, as Pearl went over to the couch, placing herself next to young gem.

"Steven?" she inquired.

"No, don't talk to me," Steven turned himself away from her, "You shouldn't associate yourself with such awful criminals."

"You're not a criminal, Steven, you're a gem."

"I'll just tarnish the Gem reputation."

Pearl placed a hand on Steven's shoulder, and turned the boy around to face her.

"Why do you think you're a criminal, Steven?" Steven looked at his feet.

"I was at the store with Onion, and he passed me his backpack. It seemed really heavy, and I thought he wanted me to carry it for him," Steven explained, "But when we left the store, all these alarms started going off. A bunch of security-guards came over and started going through the backpack, and there were a bunch of stolen things in it!" He grabbed Pearl by the shoulder, "I stole those things, Pearl."

Pearl gave Steven a gentle smile, ruffling his hair in her hand, "The only thing you did wrong was thinking Onion had pure intensions." She sighed, "You're not a criminal, Steven."

"But I did a bad thing."

Pearl gently wiped the tears from Steven's eyes, "We've all done bad things every now and then."

"Even you, Pearl?"

Pearl sighed, "Yeah. Even me."

Steven's eyes widened, and he jumped to his feet, "What?" he exclaimed, "But Pearl, what bad things have you done?"

Pearl's smile faded ever so slightly, and she crossed her arms, "That's a story for another day."

Their moment was cut short from a loud explosion outside. Pearl jumped to her feet, summoning her lance. Amethyst and Garnet came storming out of the temple, both prepared for combat.

"Stay in here, Steven," Pearl commanded, as the three Gems rushed outside to battle.

On the beach, there was a large emerald-based dragon, a look of menace in it's eye. Amethyst scoffed.

"Look who came back for more!" she goaded. The dragon let out a deafening roar, and charged the three gems. They gracefully jumped out of the way, scattering around the beach.

Amethyst cracked her whip, grabbing the beast from the side. Another crack of the whip, and she had the monster hurdling towards Garnet.

Garnet jumped up, raising her fist. As the dragon came near her, she landed on top of the beast, sending a punch down with it. The force of impact threw them into the beach. It started to flail, and attempted to become airborne again. However, it couldn't seem to get off of the ground, for it had taken too much damage. It wouldn't be long now.

Pearl charged the beast, her lance in hand. She raised her weapon, preparing to deal a finishing blow.

All of the sudden, the dragon's flailing became more rapid, and Garnet lost her footing. She was thrown from the dragon, and went crashing into Pearl. The two gems let out a yelp as they hit the ground. They pushed themselves up and rushed towards the beast.

Amethyst again cracked her whip, grabbing the dragon, and sending it flying towards the cliff. It hit the edge with a large _boom_. As it fell to the ground, it let out a stream of green fire from it's mouth. It rolled onto it's feet, and started to crawl towards the gems. This was one determined monster.

Garnet ran up to it's side, and gave it a mighty punch, knocking the monster to the ground. It could barely move.

Pearl raised her lance, once more preparing to slay the beast.

"Yeah Pearl! You can do it!"

Pearl looked up to see that Steven was now standing on the edge of the beach. The gems weren't the only one to notice the new comer, as the dragon looked towards the youngest gem.

It sent a mighty blast of green fire towards the boy.

"Steven!" The three gems shrieked. Pearl went running towards him, just barely keeping up with the stream of fire. She reached him, and in one swift move picked him up and threw him out of the way.

However, she did not have enough time to move out of the fire's range. She let out a scream as the fire engulfed her, while the other gems watched in horror.

The fire stopped, and her gem hit the beach.

"Pearl!" Steven cried, as he ran to pick up the gem.

Garnet jumped on top of the monster, and began smashing it's head in with her gauntlets. It let out one final cry, and was soon nothing more then an emerald. The red gem sealed it in a bubble.

Steven was hugging the Pearl's gem, and looked to Garnet and Amethyst with teared eyes.

"She's just recovering. She'll be back again soon, won't she?"

Amethyst ran over to Steven, and gave him a hug.

"Of course, Steven. Everything is going to be just fine."

Steven didn't catch the concerned glances Amethyst and Garnet exchanged.

* * *

Pearl was breathing sharply. Everything hurt. Every part of her being was in searing pain. But suddenly, the pain stopped. She felt nothing.

She opened her eyes. She was surrounded by a light purple mist, black streams swirling within it. She took a deep breath. She was in her gem. She'd retreated.

She clenched her fists. She knew what was coming now. She prepared her lance.

_"Well, well, well,"_ An all too familiar voice spoke. Pearl gripped her lance tighter, _"Look who came back to play."_

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368 for reviewing. And thank you friends, for reading. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. With any luck, I'll get the next chapter out in the next few days.  
You guys are all awesome. And once again, thanks for reading!_


	3. Chapter 2: To Be Caught Off Guard

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 2: To Be Caught Off Guard**

* * *

With her eyes closed, legs crossed, and weapon resting in her lap, Pearl took in a deep breath. There were some human cultures that believed meditation was the key to keeping one's sanity. She sincerely hoped they were correct.  
She could feel _it _slithering around her shoulder. She did her best to ignore it. Clear her mind. Focus on her recovery. But this it was making it difficult. It lightly brushed against her hair.

"_Pearrrrrrrl," _it whispered into her ear, _"It's been far too long."__  
_

"Not long enough." The gem responded.

_"Haven't you missed me?"_

"No."

_"Don't you crave it?"_

"No."

_"The euphoria of being joined together."_

"Stop talking."

Pearl opened her eyes, to find that it was now in front of her face. A shadow, the size of a human child. Knees tucked to chest, a featureless face. She glared at it. It almost seemed to be laughing. Suddenly, a menacing smile came out of nowhere, the same smile of the monster from long ago.

_"Resisting is so hard," _it cooed at her, "_You feel it, don't you? Your body is crying out, craving our power."_

"I said stop talking."

She had to be strong. She knew full well what this monster was capable of.

_"Touchy." _

She snatched her lance from lap, and stood up. She raised her lance, pointing it towards the creature. It started to laugh.

"_If you insist."_

* * *

Steven had placed Pearl's gem in a small basket. It sat on a perfectly fluffed pillow, and the youngest gem had even gone so far as to tuck it in. Almost like a baby.

"Come on..." he poked the gem, but with no result. He sighed, and flopped next to the gem. It had been fifteen days. That was longer then it took last time. He hated this. Things just weren't the same without Pearl.

He noticed that the other two had been on edge. They felt defensive, unsure. They tried to shake it off when they noticed Steven was in the room, but he'd noticed. They acted the same way the last time Pearl had retreated. He assumed it was because they missed her too, but he couldn't help but wonder. Was there something they weren't telling him?

He glanced back to the gem, and frowned.

Something didn't feel right.

* * *

Pearl took a deep breath, looking over to her opponent. A shadow sword graced it's hand.

"Is that the form you're taking this time?" She asked. It's grin grew.

_"I have an extra special appearance prepared this time"_

Its body started to pulse and shake. Its limbs grew, it's body became more detailed. It went from black, to colorful. Pearl gasped when she saw the shape it took.

It took the form of Rose Quartz. Pearl gripped onto her lance tighter. How _dare _it. No. It was just trying to manipulate her emotions. The moment she allowed it to get in her head was the moment it won the battle. It wasn't the real Rose. It was a monster.

It raised its sword, looking at her with a wicked grin.

_"Let's begin."_

It took off, charging her with it's blade. A clang filled the air, as it was met with Pearl's lance. It thrusted, she blocked. She thrusted, it blocked.

It raised it's sword, slashing down at her. She swiftly met it's weapon with her own. She would _not _allow it to have the upper hand.

Pearl bent down, and sliced her lance up. The monster bent out of the way just in time, but the weapon grazed it's side. It looked down at her, shock and fear in its face. Pearl felt a small pang of guilt in her stomach.

She shook her head. No. This wasn't Rose. She thrashed her lance towards the monster's weapon, knocking it clean out of her hands. It started to laugh hysterically.

"_Feels good, doesn't it?" _it chuckled, _"Just like old times."_

The Pearl's fury grew. In one swift movement, she bent down and spun, kicking the creature's ankles. It fell. Pearl smiled.

She slowly walked towards the monster, touching the monster's neck with her lance.

"I win."

* * *

Pearl's gem started to glow. Steven gasped. She was finally coming back!

"Guys!" He called out, but then he remembered. They were all out on a mission. It was just him.

But not for long. In a light of peaceful pink, Pearl materialized right before his eyes. She was met by Steven jumping onto her, giving her the largest hug he could muster.

"You're back!" he exclaimed, "You're back! You're back!"

Pearl smiled, "I'm back."

Steven looked up to her.

"How are you feeling? Did you recover okay?"

Pearl laughed, stretching her arms up. Her smile was bigger then Steven had ever seen it.

"I'm feel _amazing._"

* * *

Pearl raised her weapon, ready to deal the winning blow, when it started laughing. It was enough to make Pearl hesitate.

She instantly wished she hadn't, as the creature started to morph. It's form started to shrink, it's colors changing. Pearl felt sick when she saw what it turned into.

Steven.

It gave her a pleading look, eyes watering up, its body shaking with fear.

_"Pearl?"_ It even had his voice.

She dropped her lance. As the weapon left her hand, she took in a sharp breath. She instantly realized her mistake.

The creature sprang forth, picking up her fallen lance. It started laughing menacingly. It threw her lance towards her, and she jumped out of the way. She landed wrong, though. She lost her balance, and fell to the floor.

The creature stood over her, a shadow blade materializing in its hand. It bent down, holding the weapon to her neck. She could feel the blade on her skin. She took a small, fearful breath.

_"What's the matter, Pearl?"_ It taunted. It pressed the blade harder against her skin, _"Do you admit defeat? Do I win?"_

Pearl closed her eyes. She didn't know what she hated more. The creature, or herself for falling for it's tricks.

She had two options now. She could let it plunge the knife into her, but that would be it. There would be no regeneration, no source of healing. It would be death.

Or she could give it what it wanted, and live to battle it once again.

"I..." she sighed, "I forfeit. You win."

It laughed maniacally, turning into a plume of smoke. The smoke surrounded her, and she could feel it start to enter her body.

She screamed. It hurt. It felt like flames were burning her from the inside. And in a way, she was.

Consumed by the flames of madness.

_"This is gonna be fun!"_

She felt her consciousness start to fog. This being was becoming one with her mind. The pain started to fade. It was replaced with, what she could only describe as power. Like her body was the source of unstoppable energy.

And it felt _good._

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, Jobler, and ARandomCommenter for reviewing. I really appreciate the feedback, guys. I'm glad to see you're enjoying it. Again, I'll try to get the next chapter out in the next couple of days._

_To respond to ARandomCommenter's question: Yes, this story takes place after Steven the Swordfighter. I imagine it taking place not long after the recent episodes that have aired. _

_Also, if I may do some shameless advertising here, I have a new story called Gem Noir. It's a Steven Universe AU starring none other then Rose Quartz. Its got mystery, mobsters, jewel thieves, and the gems like you've never seen them before!_

_Again, thanks for reading. As always, I hope you all enjoyed!_


	4. Chapter 3: To Be Corrupted

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 3: To Be Corrupted**

* * *

Garnet and Amethyst stood back to back, swarm of centipeedle surrounded them. Their weapons drawn, they were determined to end this fight as quickly as possible.

A deadly as the gem monsters were, they weren't the main concern of the two gems. Something could materialize from the gem at any minute, and Steven had been left alone with it. If this mission wasn't so important, they never would have done that. Both of them knew that the situation had the potential to be very, very bad.

As the two gems battled the swarm of centipeedle, they couldn't shake off one particular thought.

What if it _she _returned.

* * *

"I feel _amazing." _she exclaimed. It was an understatement. Words couldn't begin to describe sensations streaming throughout her body. She was free.

She looked around the area. The room was a mess. Crumbs and trash littered the ground, and unwashed dishes decorated the counters. She smiled. With just a little more work, the room could become gloriously chaotic.

She stretched out her arms, feeling the power course through her veins. It pure euphoria._  
_

She looked down at Steven, her smile growing. What if she was to demonstrate her power? What if she summoned her lance, and sliced through his little body? She hadn't sliced through anything in a long time.

But she resisted. If she killed him, he wouldn't know how wonderful _true chaos _was. She couldn't deprive him of that. After all, she wasn't a monster.

Besides, she couldn't let her guard down. Not just yet.

"Where are the others?" She asked him.

"They're out on a mission, but they'll probably be back soon!" he exclaimed.

What a stroke of luck.

"Oh, that's too bad," she said, as convincingly as she could. She started to make her way to the temple doors. With the two gems gone, she could get a head start.

"Where are you going?" Steven asked.

"The temple," she replied, "There's something very important I need to do."

* * *

His first clue that something was wrong was Pearl's reaction to the kitchen being a mess. He was expecting her to give him one of her famous lectures. "How could you let the place become such a mess!" or maybe "I'm gone for a few days, and it looks like a bomb went off!" But instead, she said nothing. The mess didn't seem to phase her in the slightest.

He had a feeling that something was wrong.

As his conversation with her continued, he could feel something was off. He couldn't describe it, but there was something about her presence that was...different. Everything from her voice, to her stance, to the way she walked...it was different, though he couldn't place why.

As she started to head to the temple, a sense of urgency overcame he. He needed to stop her from entering the temple, although he didn't know why.

"Pearl," he said. She kept walking, "Since you're back, do you wanna get donuts? You know, celebrate?"

"No," she said, and kept walking. He took a deep breath, he needed to think.

A mighty roar filled the room. In a blur of of pink, Lion ran through the room. He lept up, and tackled Pearl to the ground. Steven screamed.

"Lion, no!" he pleaded. A small smile crossed Pearl's face. She rolled out from Lion's grasp and stood up, summoning her weapon.

"Here kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty..." she taunted, raising her lance. Lion let out another mighty roar, showing his teeth. Steven wanted to step in and fight, but he didn't know what to do.

"Guys, stop it!" he pleaded. But it was no use. Lion ran towards Pearl, extending it's claws. Pearl didn't move. She simply waited for it. Finally, when it got close enough she slash her lance, grazing Lion straight across the face. Lion let out a cry of agony. Steven screamed. Pearl ignored both of these sounds as she raised her foot, kicking lion straight across the side. It was a powerful blow, and it sent Lion flying into the wall. Game, set, match.

"No!" Steven cried, running to the fallen beast. He relieved to see that Lion was still breathing. He looked towards Pearl, angry.

"Why did you do that?" he demand. Pearl shrugged.

"It started it."

Steven clenched his fists, looking back to the best. Tears were streaming down his face. A pink liquid oozed from Lion's wound on his face. Blood.

"Is he...is he going to be alright?" he asked.

"We can heal him," Pearl was behind him. He didn't even notice her come behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled, "In the temple, there's an artifact that can fix him up, good as new."

Steven wiped a tear away from his eye. The feeling of dread inside him increased. He looked back to his fallen friend. Why had he attacked Pearl? He had never been violent before. It didn't make sense.

"Come on, Steven. You don't want him to suffer, do you?"

Steven shook his head.

"...Okay."

* * *

It had taken forever, but Garnet and Amethyst had finally defeated the swarm. They hastily retrieved their artifact, and had rushed back as fast as they could. They were praying that Pearl's gem had not regenerated.

However, their greatest fears were met. They returned to find that Pearl's gem was missing. The place was even more of a mess then when they left it. It looked like a fight took place. Worst of all, Steven was nowhere to be found.

"Amethyst," Garnet said, pointing in a direction. Amethyst looked, to see Lion on the ground, his face bleeding. Amethyst gasped.

A sinking feeling filled both of their stomachs. Their fear had been met.

"The temple," Garnet said, urgently. Amethyst's eyes widened.

"Oh no..." she clenched her fist. This was bad. Very bad.

Amethyst summoned her weapon, Garnet summoned their gauntlets.

The two gems knew what they had to do, and they were not looking forward to it.

They rushed towards, hoping that they were not too late.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, ilikehats2, and jasper-jinx for reviewing.  
Thank you so much for reading this so far, friends! It's been really fun to write. Anyways, I'll have the next chapter up for you guys in the next few days, so stay tuned!_


	5. Chapter 4: To Be Surrounded by Colors

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 4: To Be Surrounded by Colors**

* * *

He had never been allowed to be where the gems kept their artifacts. Every time he asked to see, Pearl would always give him the same answer.

"You're not experienced enough, Steven."

He would look to the other gems with pleading eyes, silently begging them to ask Pearl to relent. But they would simply shake their heads. Not even Amethyst would argue with Pearl.

Yet here he was. Walking through the temple with Pearl, about to see one of its many mysteries. Under any other circumstance, he would be ecstatic. But he wasn't. It just felt _wrong. _However, he didn't object. He couldn't stand the thought of Lion being in pain.

He was worried sick about Lion. The pink beast had never been that aggressive before. The fight between him and Pearl was one of the most horrifying things he'd ever watched in his life. Pearl didn't even hesitate to strike Lion down. In fact, she seemed more than happy too do it.

Maybe she hadn't fully recovered, he thought. Maybe she had sensed how desperate he was to have her back, and that she came out of recovery before she was ready. That's why she was so..._off. _

"Here we are," she said, and the two of them stopped. They were at a platform, much like the one back at the house. But it wasn't like the one back at the house. Steven couldn't explain why, but it felt different. Pearl walked onto the platform, and smiled at him, "Come on," she said, gesturing for him to come forward. He slowly nodded, and scurried onto the platform.

Steven felt a tingling sensation in his feet. He looked down, and saw that the platform was glowing around where he stood. A soft outline. A dark pink, just like the color of his gem. He smiled. That was so cool. He looked down at Pearl's feet, wanting to see the glow surrounding them.

But there was none.

He felt his gem start to pulse. It almost felt like a heartbeat. A soft glow started to emit from it. Normally when it glowed, it felt like it was releasing magic. But that's not how it felt this time. It felt like he was _absorbing _it. It felt nice.

But the feeling passed. All of a sudden, the glow from his feet faded. Before he even had time to react, a dark light burst forth from the platform, absorbing Steven and Pearl. It felt like he had been absorbed into a hurricane. Winds wiped at him, and he felt his body accelerate. He screamed. This was absolutely terrifying.

He felt them get faster, and faster. A series of light flashed before his eyes. He couldn't help but think this was why he'd never been allowed to do this before. He closed his eyes. He couldn't take this any more. But through all of the sensation, he was able to hear one particular thing.

Pearl. She was laughing.

Suddenly, it felt like they stopped. His body stopped accelerating. All was calm. He felt his feet touch solid ground.

It looked like they were in the clouds of a sunset, almost like his mother's room. Clouds of bright pinks and vivid oranges surrounded him. They shimmered. But then, in what almost seemed like an explosion, the clouds changed to vibrant purples and rich blues. He gasped. It was _gorgeous_. He had chills.

The clouds started to twirl and change, almost as if they were dancing. The clouds rose higher, and higher, and higher, finally crashing into each other.

A surge of light ruptured from the clouds, surrounding them in a million gleaming, colorful lights.

"This is amazing!" Steven exclaimed.

But then they were gone. They were in a different room, but there were no colors here. They were surrounded by a thick darkness. Steven couldn't see a thing.

But then his gem started to glow, releasing all of the energy it had absorbed earlier. Suddenly, a small blue gem on the wall started to glow. And then a pink gem. And then a purple gem.

In a chain reaction, a series of gems among the walls released their energy, each radiating a different color. Steven gasped. He could see soft, calm pools of water. They were so still, they looked like glass. The water reflected the lights coming from the gems. The pools of water enveloped most of the room, except for what looked like a path.

"Wow," Steven gasped.

It was like they were walking in a sea of light, with their path woven from the night sky.

Steven felt something strange in this room. He felt connected to something greater then him. He smiled.

"Come on, slow-poke!" He looked and saw Pearl further along the path. In his distraction, she had walked ahead of him. He quickly nodded, and ran to catch up with her.

Their footsteps echoed throughout the chamber. The path never seemed to end, it almost seemed to go on for infinity. As they got closer, he saw something in the distance.

A small, pink orb, just like the ones the gems used to contain artifacts. As they got closer to it, his suspicions were confirmed. There was an artifact in it. He saw other orbs in the distance. There were hundreds of them, all suspended from the ceiling. They were like lanterns.

"We're getting close, Steven," Pearl said, a hint of excitement in her voice. Steven wouldn't lie, all the feelings of dread he felt earlier had been replaced with feelings of aw. Even his gem was pulsing with excitement. He had never seen the quartz glow so vividly before.

He looked up at Pearl, but then noticed something.

Her gem wasn't glowing.

Pearl stopped in her tracks. A smile bigger then he had ever seen crossed her face. She pointed to one of the lanterns.

"At last," she said. She ran into the pools of water, but she didn't sink. She stood below the orb, reaching her hand towards it. The sphere sparked. Pearl yelped, and pulled her hand away. Pearl scowled, trying to reach for it again. But again, it sparked. Pearl clenched her fists.

"What's wrong?" Steven asked.

"It doesn't react to-" Pearl stopped herself, scrunching up her face, "It...it can only be touched by pure gem energy. I must have not recovered all the way," she explained. Steven couldn't help but feel that wasn't the reason.

"We can wait for Garnet and Amethy-"

"No!" Pearl exclaimed, "I mean...Lion has barely any time." She started to approach Steven, a small smile crossing her face, "I may not be pure gem energy...but you are."

The feeling of dread entered Steven's stomach again, "I...I don't think I can."

She bent down to him.

"Of course you can, Steven."

She got closer to him, reaching her hand out towards him.

"Come on, Steven."

"No, I can't!"

Before he knew what happened, Pearl had grabbed him, "Yes, you can!" she screamed, as she walked back to the orb. She lifted him towards it, so he could reach it.

"Pearl, stop!" Steven pleaded.

"Just grab the orb!" She snapped. He saw a flash of something in her eyes. Something dark. Something bad. It scared him. With shaky hands, he slowly reached out to the orb, gently touching it. There was no negative reaction. In fact, it almost felt drawn to him. He slowly grabbed it, taking it from it's spot. It started to glow even more.

"Good boy," Pearl cooed, setting the boy down, "Now, open it."

"I...I don't know how."

Pearl gave him a menacing smile, "Well, you'll just have to figure it out."

Steven looked into her eyes, then back at the orb. He felt his hand start to shake more. Every inch of his body screamed at him not to give it to her.

And so he didn't. He ran away as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was going, he didn't know where the path of this place lead, he didn't even know which direction he could find the teleporter. But all he knew was he needed to get away.

"You little brat!" Pearl called after him. She started to give chase. He looked behind him, and saw that she was quickly catching up to him. Adrenaline pumped throughout his body. He couldn't let her get this orb. He just couldn't.

Pearl got close enough that she jumped on him, pinning him to the ground.

"Why are you being so difficult, Steven?" She cooed. There was a wicked look on her face.

"I'm not being difficult, you are!" Steven retorted. Pearl summoned her lance, and held it to his throat.

"Open the orb." Steven shook his head, "Open the orb!" she screamed.

Suddenly, something wrapped itself on the lance. The weapon was pulled from Pearl's hand.

"Steven!" A familiar voice called. _Amethyst. _Steven saw Garnet appear behind Pearl, and before she could react, Garnet punched her off of Steven.

Steven scurried away, clutching the orb in his hands. Pearl stood, and looked between the three gems. She started to laugh.

"Well, well, well," she said, "This is an exciting turn of events."

Garnet charged her, throwing a punch. But this time, Pearl was prepared. She quickly jumped out of the way. Another punch. Another dodge Garnet threw a series of punches, but it was no use. Pearl swiftly avoided each hit.

Amethyst threw her whip towards Pearl, but to her horror, Pearl caught it in her hands. Amethyst gasped, before Pearl pulled on it, sending the purple gem flying forwards. Garnet went to throw another punch, but hit Amethyst instead. The purple gem was sent hurdling towards the walls.

"Fighting you used to be so difficult," Pearl taunted, "To think, I could kill you all where you stand." Garnet glared, charging the gem. But this time, she didn't throw a punch. She instead grabbed Pearl, throwing her into the ground.

"I don't think so," she said. Pearl pushed herself up, battle stance. She saw Amethyst get up, and come towards her. She looked between the two gems.

Then to Steven's horror, she then looked at him. He saw an idea cross her face. She looked back to the two gems, and re-summoned her lance. She charged them, her lance raised.

But then she quickly changed courses. She gracefully started to run in the other direction.

Towards Steven.

Lanced raised she was prepared to strike him. Steven tried to run, but he tripped. He could only watch as his friend came towards him, evil in her face, prepared to deal a finishing blow.

She raised the lance, and Steven could only watch with pleading eyes and it sliced through his chest.

* * *

Amethyst watched in horror as she saw Pearl slice her lance through the youngest gem's chest.

"Steven!" she cried out. Steven's cry of pain was the worst sound she had ever heard. But it didn't last long. There was a puff of smoke. He had retreated into his gem. Amethyst felt her eyes start to sting. How _dare _she. She looked to Garnet. The normally stoic gem looked furious.

They raised their weapons, preparing to turn this _monster _into pavement. But before they could, Pearl picked up Steven's gem. She smiled at the two of them.

"Here's what's going to happen," she said, "You're going to let me leave. Otherwise," she raised Stevens' gem to them, "Well, it'd be such a shame to lose another quartz."

Amethyst looked to Garnet, infuriated. They weren't possibly going to let her get away with this. But Garnet simply stared. Processing the situation.

The red gem sighed, and looked to Amethyst. She released her weapons back to her gem. Amethyst gasped in, horror.

"Garnet!" she exclaimed. But Garnet simply shook her head.

"She has Steven." the red gem said. Amethyst looked back at Pearl. She clutched Steven's gem, delicately in her hand.

She had won.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder365, guest, ilikehats2, and other guest for reviewing. And thanks to everybody who has read the story so far. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Hopefully you all enjoyed.  
Once again, I should have the next chapter up soon. Best case scenario, it's up by Sunday.  
And one more time, thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 5: To Be Underwater

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 5: To Be Underwater**

* * *

Garnet and Amethyst could only look in horror as Pearl held onto Steven's gem. His fate was in the hands of a madwoman. Literally.

Pearl's demands were quite simple.

"Let me leave."

To release her out into the world would be completely irresponsible. To unleash a madness like this would go against everything they stood for. It was their job to protect humanity, not subject them to chaos.

They could take Pearl down where she stood. It wouldn't be hard to form Sugilite. They could finish this battle, and be done with it.

But she had Steven. If they made the slightest move against her, there was no telling what Pearl would do to the boy's gem.

They had two choices. Stop Pearl, or save Steven. The answer was obvious.

They wouldn't lose another Quartz to this monster. They refused.

And so they called their ceasefire. They escorted Pearl out of the temple. It was a very long trip. Every once in a while, one of them would glance towards Pearl. The corrupted gem would simply smile, and show of Steven's quartz. She made it very clear that his fate was up to _her._

However, they wouldn't just let the corrupted gem go. There would be a small opportunity. Once they were outside, when Pearl released Steven's gem, they would strike. This was, of course, assuming that she would follow her end of the bargain. Chances were, she wouldn't. Pearl wasn't dumb. She was probably planning for this outcome.

They just had to be prepared for anything.

They finally reached the outside. It was night. The moon shone brightly above them, casting a light along the beach. Garnet and Amethyst tensed. This was it. They mentally prepared to draw their weapons at the first opportunity.

"We're outside, Pearl," Garnet said, "Give him to us."

Pearl looked at the red gem, a menacing smile crossing her face, "I suppose that was the deal, wasn't it?"

Before either Garnet or Amethyst could react, Pearl leapt into the air, jumping over the two gems, landing a safe distance away from them. She extended the hand holding Steven's gem, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "Ready?" she called out. She extended the arm behind her, like a pitcher preparing to throw a ball, "Catch!" she yelled, sending Steven's gem hurdling towards the ocean.

"Steven!" The gems screamed. Amethyst went running towards the ocean, her one goal being to save Steven. Her form changed into a pelican, and she went flying towards Steven's gem, attempting to catch it before it sank.

Pearl laughed wickedly, as she watched Amethyst scramble to catch Steven's gem. She turned and looked towards Garnet. The red gem simply stood there, glaring at Pearl. Pearl smiled at her.

"Have you ever thought about how much trouble little Steven causes?" she asked, "How many times has a mission been needlessly complicated, because _he _got in the way?" Pearl taunted, "You would have vanquished me, if he didn't go and get himself impaled."

A screamed entered the air, as Steven's gem sank moments before Amethyst got there. The purple gem quickly changed her form again, this time a diver, and entered the water after it. Pearl laughed.

"Imagine if she never found him. He'd come out of his gem, only to drown. He'd retreat back to his gem, only to eventually come out and drown again. And again. And again. A life of eternal drowning. Doesn't sound very fun, does it?"

Garnet had enough. Her gauntlets appeared on her hands. She charged her corrupted comrade. She sent her fist smashing towards the other gem, but Pearl ducked out of the way, "Missed."

Garnet sent forth another fist, but Pearl easily rolled out of the way, causing Garnet to punch the sand, "Missed again."

Pearl summoned her lance, stabbing it towards Garnet. But the red gem was prepared. She caught it in her gauntlet. Pearl smiled, "Very good."

Garnet pulled the lance, pulling Pearl closer to her. She raised her free hand, not giving the corrupted gem a chance to dodge. She hurled her fist at Pearl, hitting her dead on. The gem was launched towards the ocean.

Pearl rolled in the air, her feet barely landing on the water. She stood up, smiling at Garnet.

"Good thing I had this water to cushion my fall, otherwise that would've hurt!" Just then, Garnet noticed something. A soft, purple glow coming from below the water's surface. Pearl didn't seem to notice it. A purple hand shot out from below the water, grabbing onto Pearl's ankle.

"What?" She demanded. She then screamed, as the it pulled her under the surface.

Garnet couldn't help but smile, "Good one, Amethyst."

* * *

The ocean was pitch black, Amethyst could hardly see anything. Panic coursed through her. She _had _to find Steven. She would not be allow him to be condemned to a watery grave.

She knew his gem was close. She was so close to grabbing it before it sank. If only she had gotten just a little bit closer...

But she didn't. She needed now to navigate the pitch black waters and _find _the quartz. She needed to find him. She released a bit of magic from her gem, emitting a small purple glow. It wasn't much light, but it had to do.

She swam lower, squinting her eyes, trying to find anything that remotely looked like Steven's gem. She didn't want to think about how hopeless the situation was. She _would _find Steven.

Fish swam around her, she could feel them brushing against her body. Sometimes, one would swim in front of her vision, and she would shoo it away. Even though they didn't mean to, the ocean life made the search more difficult.

"Come on, Steven," she whispered, desperate for any sign on where to find the gem.

And that's when she saw it. A small pink light pulsed below her. She rubbed her eyes. Was it...? She swam further down, a new feeling of hope.

Sure enough, it pulsed again, brighter this time. It was him, she just knew it. But just as quickly as the light appeared to her, it started to fade.

"No!" she said, swimming down as fast as her body would allow her. That's when she saw it.

Steven's quartz. She quickly picked it up, just before the light went completely out. She held the gem up to the small light coming from her gem, inspecting it for damage. She sighed in relief. It was fine. Not a scratch.

"Steven," she said, a smile on her face. She started to swim towards the surface. Her mind drifted to Pearl and Garnet. That's when it hit her. She left Garnet alone with Pearl. But the red gem was tough. She could handle Pearl.

She hoped.

She was almost at the surface of the water, when she saw it. It looked like there was someone _standing _on the water. Maybe the lack of light was playing tricks on her. The only person she knew who could do that was...Pearl.

That's when she realized it. The corrupted gem was standing right above her, completely unaware of Amethyst below her. She could end this madness. She swam as close to the surface as she could, careful not to alert Pearl to her presence. She slowly reached her hand out, carefully breaching the surface of the water. As tight as she could, she grabbed onto Pearl's leg. She yanked it down, and swam deeper into the water, bringing the corrupted gem with her.

Her sneak attack worked. Pearl was obviously taken off guard. The corrupted gem flailed in Amethyst's grasp, desperately trying to get to the surface. Amethyst smiled. They won.

After a minute, Pearl went still. Was that it? But then Pearl looked down to Amethyst, a smile on her face.

Before Amethyst knew it, Pearl glowed. She transformed herself into an eel, swimming out of Amethyst's grasp. The purple gem yelped in surprise. Before she could give chase, Pearl transformed again, this time into an octopus. She ejected a think, black ink from her body, blinding Amethyst. And with that, she was gone.

Pearl had escaped.

* * *

Garnet watched as Amethyst emerged from the water. There was a look of anger of the purple gem's face. That wasn't a good sign.

"She got away," Amethyst growled. Garnet's heart sank. The corrupted gem was released into the world. They could only imagine the kind of havoc she would cause. Garnet sighed. This was not good.

But that's when she saw it. In Amethyst's hand, there was a small pink orb.

"Steven?" she asked. Amethyst looked at Steven's gem, and smiled.

"Steven's safe."

The two gems stood on the beach, staring at their youngest member's gem. A sense of calm washed over them.

The battle may have been lost, but the war was far from over.

They would be triumphant.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, Themaster19981, Guest, ilikehats2, Guest, and JohnnyBravo500 for reviewing. Sorry this chapter took so long, guys, but hopefully it was worth the wait? I promise, the next chapter will come much sooner this time._

_Once again, thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 6: To Be Tucked Into Bed

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 6: To Be Tucked Into Bed**

* * *

He was floating in a comforting, pink mist. He didn't know where he was, but it was nice. It was warm. Comforting. It felt safe, wherever it was. It felt like he had been there for an eternity. But that was okay. It was comfy.

He almost felt like he was curled up in his blankets, when the covers were just the right temperature. He could feel magic pulsing throughout his body. He was refreshed. He spread his arms out, swishing them through the fog. It was fun. He laughed, as the pink missed weaved throughout his fingers.

It was then, that he saw a small, shimmering spec of black. It was so tiny, it almost seemed like a piece of dust. Steven rubbed his eyes. That was strange. He looked again, but it was gone. He shrugged. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him.

_"Its time to go back, Steven."_ a voice said. He looked around. He had never heard that voice before...but at the same time, it sounded familiar.

"What?" He called out into the void. But there was no answer. His body started to glow, and a chill passed through him. Before he knew it, he had faded away.

* * *

It had been eight days since Pearl escaped. The gems had heard no sign of her activities. There was no way of tracking her, they could only sit and wait until she made herself known. It was very aggravating, to say the least. However, they had other things to take care of. Like Steven.

They had tucked his quartz into his bed, where they could keep a close eye on it. They wanted to be there when Steven returned. They sincerely hoped he would recover soon. There were some people who were starting to wonder where the young gem was.

Garnet sat by Steven's bed. She stared at his gem, vigilantly keeping guard. Amethyst had gone into town, picking up donuts and frybits. This had become a daily activity. The purple gem wanted him to have his favorite foods when he returned form his stasis. She thought it would make the situation easier for him to handle.

Garnet knew that her teammate had returned home, when she heard the door slam, followed by Amethyst yelling out, "Has he come back yet?" She came running into his room. It was a good thing she wasn't trying to be stealthy. She held a bag of donuts in one hand, and a bag of half-eaten frybits in the other. Garnet simply shook her head, and pointed to Steven's gem. Amethyst let out a long sigh.

"Come on, Steven," she sat down next to the bed, gently poking the gem. She looked up at Garnet, "I ran into Greg today."

"Oh?"

"He's wondering where Steven is."

The two of them had been meaning to explain the situation to Greg. He was Steven's father, after all. He deserved to know things like this. However, neither of them knew how exactly to tell him.

"What did you say?"

"What am I supposed to say?" Amethyst exclaimed, "Sorry, Greg. Pearl got a first class seat on the locomotive to crazytown and impaled your son, before escaping into the depths of the night. But don't worry. We think he's recovering."

"...You didn't actually tell him that?" Garnet asked.

"Of course not!" Amethyst stood up, "Man, I wish P were here. She's good at explaining things."

Steven's gem started to emit a soft glow. The two gems looked to each other, a smile creeping up both of their faces, then looked to the gem. Was Steven coming back?

Sure enough, a figure materialized around the gem. Steven laid in his bed, his eyes wide. He noticed the two gems hovering over him. He blinked, still dazed. He was trying to process the situation. Both the gems could remember the first time they retreated after a bad injury. It was very overwhelming.

"Uh...hi guys," Steven said. He gave them a large smile, the one they knew and loved. It was like nothing bad had ever happened. "You won't believe the dream I just had. I dreamed that Pearl came back, but she was evil, and you guys fought...and then she stabbed me. It was awful."

The two gems bit their tongues. He had automatically assumed that Pearl stabbing him was a dream. To him, there was no possibility of that possibly being real.

"But then it was alright!" Steven continued, "I was floating in this pink mist...and it felt really nice. I was like I was in the comfiest bed ever...and then I woke up. Now I'm with you guys!"

Amethyst and Garnet exchanged glances, then looked back at Steven. Neither of them wanted to be the one to say it.

"Has Pearl come back from her gem yet?"

They both sighed. One of them was going to have to tell him.

It was Garnet who bit the bullet, "It wasn't a dream, Steven."

"What?"

Another silence. There was no easy way to explain that their friend was now their greatest threat. He wouldn't want to believe that Pearl was anything less then good. He still retained his naive sense of the world, that everything was alright. Hearing that one of the gems, his "bestest buds" had hurt him...he wouldn't take well to the news.

Garnet looked to Amethyst, "We need to tell him." Amethyst reluctantly nodded, looking to the youngest gem. He was going to have to find out at some point. Steven was about to get the entire history of this monster.

And he wasn't going to like it.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder365, 8Bitstudiofanfic, JohnnyBravo500, ilikehats2, and Cadpig the 101st for reviewing. As always, your words are kindly appreciated.  
_

_I'm going to try and have the next chapter to you guys by Thursday. However, I am currently in the process of moving out, and I'm going to a convention this weekend, so I may not have the time to write that I'd like. That being said, I will do my very best to get to this. Don't worry, guys. I won't leave you hanging._

_Once again, as always, thanks for reading. I hope you all enjoyed!_


	8. Chapter 7: Interlude

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 7: Interlude**

* * *

Amethyst and Garnet looked to each other. They didn't quite know how to fully explain Pearl's situation to the young gem. There was nothing about this situation that was simple. To be perfectly honest, they still didn't understand all the complexities of it. But they would explain it as simply, and with as much detail, as they possibly could.

"Well, Steven," Amethyst said. She really wasn't one for explaining things, "Us Gems...you know how we're created, right?"

"Pearl explained it once, but I got distracted and stopped listening..." the boy replied. Amethyst sighed. They really were starting from the beginning.

"You see, Steven..."

* * *

There were many mysteries to magic. No one knew why it did what it did. Not a soul alive had figured out all the secrets to it's nature. Not even the Gems.

Even when it came to their own existence, they were at a lost. They didn't know how they came to be. It just happened.

Inside the temple, was a wall decorated with gems. All shined with brilliance and life. It was a beautiful sight to be seen. Each gem on the wall was connected to a Crystal Gem. But there was something different about it...something had changed.

The pink woman observed the wall, a small smile on her face. A new gem had joined the wall. She knew exactly what that meant.

A new gem was born.

Crystal Gems were not like any other creature. They were not born through natural means. They had no mother or father. They would simply start existing.

Elsewhere in the world, there was a dark cave. It dark, not a soul to be seen or heard. It was empty, save for a few rocks. However, deep inside, their lay a brilliant purple gem.

An Amethyst. And it was glowing.

It released a brilliant light, and suddenly, she existed. She didn't know how she came to be. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know a lot of things.

But there were three facts ingrained in her head. Three truths she clung to.

Her name was Amethyst. She was a Crystal Gem.  
And it was her duty to protect the earth from monsters.

* * *

Steven looked up at the gems wide eyed, "What?" He exclaimed, "I thought you saved the world because you wanted to. You mean, you were made for it?"

The two gems simply nodded.

"A crystal gem's instinct is to seek out menacing gems, and prevent them from doing harm," Garnet explained. Steven nodded, a small smile on his face.

"You were created to be superheros!"

The two gems simply smiled.

"Yeah, I suppose we are," Amethyst said, a bit of pride to her voice.

"But Pearl..." Garnet started, "She doesn't have that instinct any more."

Steven looked up to her with questioning eyes. Garnet continued.

"Long ago, Pearl saved your mother from a monster. She ended up slaying the monster, but at a cost. It infected her with...something."

"Something?" Steven asked. The two shook their heads.

"We don't know what it was...but we know a few things about it."

* * *

Rose Quartz knew more about magic then any of the gems...and there was still a lot she did not know. Still, she made it a point to study it. She wanted to unravel the mysteries of magic. One could say that she was a little bit of a scientist, in that aspect.

Especially now. She wanted to know as much as she could about that..._creature _and what it had done to her friend. Pearl had saved her life, after all. It was only natural that she returned the favor.

Through her studies, she had observed four things.

1\. This was, without a doubt, definitely Pearl. She was not possessed by any type of monster, or being used as a puppet by some bigger evil. Whatever had possessed her had tweaked her mind. She no longer held the same thoughts and desires. It had changed the very core of who she was. To put it simply, she was infected by madness.

2\. Pearl no longer held the instinct to fight menacing gems. This instinct was replaced by something else, though Rose couldn't deduce what it was. It was almost as if she was now driven to create havoc. To show off her newfound powers.

3\. Whatever infected her, also increased her power. It caused Pearl to be swifter, stronger, more flexible. Even her amount of magic appeared to increase. When fighting her, the gems needed to be on their highest guard. This caused her to be one of their most formidable enemies yet.

4\. The power given to Pearl by this thing was...intoxicating. Addicting. The amount of power it gave Pearl gave the gem a feeling of ecstasy. Every slash of her spear, stroke of her sword, or any display of power gave Pearl a sense of euphoria. Her sense of morality was compromised by the feelings it gave her.

It wasn't much knowledge, but it was the best they had. But Rose was determined.

They _would _defeat her. They_would _be reunited with the Pearl they knew and loved.

She hoped.

* * *

Steven looked solemn. They could tell this wasn't the type of story he wanted to hear.

"Infected by madness..." he repeated. He looked to the gems with pleading eyes, "We can cure her, can't we?"

"There is one way..." Garnet started. She looked to Amethyst, biting her words.

Steven wasn't going to like the answer to this.

* * *

Rose took a deep breath. She absolutely hated this. She hated every part about this.

It had been nearly two-hundred years since Pearl had saved her...two hundred years that she had been infected. Two hundred years that the gem who was once one of her closest friends, was now her greatest enemy.

But that all ended that night.

The two had been battling for nearly twenty-four hours. Both had grown week. They had exchanged great blows, and it was almost too much for both of them. Rose could feel something warm and sticky trickling down various parts of her body. Her blood.

Finally, it became too much. Rose retreated into the near-by forest, followed in close pursuit by the mad gem. But this wasn't over. In fact, Rose's plan depended on Pearl giving chase. She hid in the top branches of a tree, waiting. A cackle filled the night air. She was getting close.

"Rosy-Rosy-Rose!" She exclaimed, "Little Miss Quartz...come out, come out wherever you are."

Rose clenched onto something in her hand. She had promised to only use it in desperate measures...and this was a very desperate measure. She watched as Pearl walked below her. She didn't notice Rose above her. This was her chance.

"Red Rover, Red Rover...I call Rosy over."

Rose jumped down from her hiding spot, raising what was in her hand...a knife.

Before Pearl had a chance to react, Rose had plunged the knife into her chest. Pearl let out a pained howl that made Rose cringe. Even though they had been fighting for so long...she felt guilty. She had never stabbed anything before. That's why she loved her shield...she never caused any direct harm to anybody. She was the protector of the group...she wasn't a killer.

Yet here she was. She had just impaled her friend. Pearl looked to her. For a moment, there was a small twinkle of something in her eye...remorse. Rose took a sharp breath.

"I'm sorry," she said. She didn't know why she said it, but she did.

Pearl coughed up blood, a pale pink liquid. However, the look of remorse was soon replaced with the madness. Pearl started to laugh.

"Well done," she said, coughing some more. Her voice was weak. It wouldn't be long now, "Don't worry, though...we'll play again soon." Rose scowled. Pearl coughed up blood one more time, spraying it onto Rose. Then, she closed her eyes, and retreated into her gem. Rose was left only with the knife she used to slay her friend.

It was over.

* * *

Steven was tearing up.

"We have to hurt her?" he exclaimed. The two gems simply nodded. They didn't like it any more then he did. If there was a way, somehow to simply snap her out of it, they would in a heartbeat.

But they couldn't.

"When Pearl is in her gem, she is separated from her madness," Garnet explained.

"But...if we do, will she return to normal?"

"We don't know," Garnet said bluntly, "But it's our only chance."

He really hated this. His friend...the gem who practically raised him, was now a monster. He never wanted to see her get hurt. He just wanted her to be back to normal. He wanted to be a family again.

He wanted Pearl back. He clenched his fists.

"Are you sure it's the only way."

The gems simply nodded their head. Steven looked to them, wiping the tears from his eye. He loved the gems. All of them. He would give anything to keep them happy and safe.

And if this was the only way to save Pearl, he would plunge the knife in himself. He would hate himself forever. He would regret it every day of his life. But he would do it. For her.

Because he loved her more then the world.

"I need some time to think," he said. The two gems nodded in understanding, and without saying anything else, they left the room.

* * *

As Garnet and Amethyst left Steven's room, the purple gem grabbed onto her teammates arm. She looked around, making sure they were out of Steven's ear-shot.

"We didn't tell him about-"

"I know," Garnet interrupted. A grim look crossed her face, "He doesn't need to know that. He's better off that way."

Amethyst looked at Garnet solemnly, before nodding. The two walked away in silence.

They had a long battle ahead of them.

* * *

_Thank you JohnnyBravo500, SpaceWonder368, 8Bitstudiosfanfic, and ilikehats2 for reviewing. Sorry that it was a long wait, but it's here now. It's been a crazy week, but it's here now!  
_

_Once again, thank you everyone who read this chapter. I really appreciate it. Until next time!_


	9. Chapter 8: To Be Given Incentive

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 8: To Be Given Incentive **

* * *

It had been two week since the confrontation with the Gems. Two weeks since she made her escape, two weeks since she impaled Steven. And of course, it has been two weeks since the gems had first started their hunt for her. They were scouring the world for her whereabouts. Not only were they driven by their duty, but they were driven by revenge.

What they didn't know, was that she was right under their noses. Just seven miles south of the Crystal Gem's temple, there was a small cave. It was the perfect base. It was easy enough to get to, but just out of the way enough that nobody knew of it's existence. Best of all, the gems would never expect her to hide so close. It was the perfect place to lay low.

That being said, she was growing restless. She wanted to go out, and _do something._ She wanted to show the world her power. So much chaos, so little time. But, all good things came with good time. As hard as it was, she needed to resist those urges. Acting on instinct would only attracted the gems, and she didn't need that...at least, not now.

She had spent the last two weeks letting the power inside her grow. It was brimming at her body, begging to be let out and explosive bursts. Chaos was a finicky little thing like that.

A smile crossed her face. It had been long enough. She was ready.

She pushed herself up, and walked out of the cave. Today would be a good day.

* * *

To say that the days since his recovery had been stressful would be an understatement. Every day, the gems would go out searching for their wayward comrade. He would wait at home, hoping that they would find her. The only company he had was Lion, and the pink beast had not been in the best of moods. He was recovering from his battle well enough. Unfortunately, Lion was forced to wear a cone over his neck. The pink cat absolutely despised it. Grumpy lions did not make good companions.

All Steven wanted was for this nightmare to be over. He didn't want to think about Pearl causing any more harm. He wanted to be a family again. But as each day came and passed, the gems return. Each time, the answer was the same.

"We didn't find her."

He didn't think anything would distract him from this.

And then, he heard a knock at the door. That was odd, he thought. They didn't get visitors that often. He went to answer, and he couldn't hide his smile when he saw who it was.

"Connie!"

The girl was back in town for the next few days, and wanted to know if Steven could hang out. It was just the distraction he needed.

Connie took him to Beach City Comics. The girl was hoping to buy another issue of the series she'd gotten into: _Manhunter._

_"_It's really awesome," Connie explained, picking up a comic out of the bin. She showed him the pages. "It's about this prosecutor who's tired of watching supervillians go free...and so she became manhunter, bringing them the justice they deserve!"

"That does sound awesome!" Steven replied, looking through some of the comics himself. Steven never really read comics. He thought they were cool, but why read about super heroes when you lived with the real things? He picked a comic out of the bin. Maybe he would start getting into them, though. It'd give him something to read while he waited for the gems.

"So, Steven? What magical adventures have you had lately?"

Steven froze, being taken off guard by the question.

"Oh...nothing exciting," he shook it off, giving her a smile. He didn't want to tell her about what happened with Pearl. He wanted to keep her out of this situation. As much as he loved including her on gem adventures, this was one adventure she didn't need to experience.

"Are you alright, Steven?" she asked. He smiled.

"Yeah, of course!" He said, a little too quickly, "Hey...let's get ice cream. Ice cream sound delicious right now!"

She laughed, picking up her comics, "Yeah, that sounds great...mind if I go to the bathroom first?"

* * *

From the moment she came over, Connie could tell there was something bothering Steven. He just seemed a bit...off. Distracted. There was something he wasn't telling her, but she didn't push him for it. If he didn't want her to know, then he probably had good reason. Besides, it still seemed like he was having a good time.

She smiled, as the water from the sink fell onto her hands, trickling down between her fingers. It sounded weird, but Connie thought it was one of the most peaceful sensations in the world. It was like she was rinsing the negativity from her body, letting it be replaced by a sense of calm.

And that feeling was about to get ruined.

She felt a cold hand grip onto her shoulder. She gasped, looking up. The hand belonged to Pearl.

"Hello, Connie," she smiled. There was something about her tone of voice that gave her chills.

"Oh, Pearl," she said, forcing a smile, "I thought...Steven said you were on a mission?" Pearl gave out another laugh.

"Oh, Steven hasn't told you then?" She chuckled, "Garnet and Amethyst are out searching for _me._ You see, Connie, the Gems and I have had a bit of a...disagreement."

Connie could feel her heart beating faster. Pearl was scaring her, but she did her best not to let it show.

"What...what disagreement?" Pearl's grip on her shoulder tightened. She could feel the gem's nails digging into her shoulder.

"You see, Connie, I no longer sympathize with the Gem's cause...in fact, you could say I've become the very thing they seek to destroy."

"You're evil?!"

Pearl let out another cold, menacing laugh, "Oh Connie, evil is just a matter of perspective. I'm sure to them, I seem like the bad guy. But what about my side of the story? When it comes to me and my interests, they would technically be the evil ones."

Connie could feel herself start to shiver. She couldn't remember another time where she was this terrified. Pearl spun her around, causing the two to be face to face.

"What...what do you want with me?" Connie finally stutter out. Pearl's smile grew.

"It's simple, dear," she stated. She almost seemed cat, playing with a mouse before devoured it, "I want you to be my ally."

Connie clenched her fists. A sudden bursts of adrenaline pumped through her veins. She grabbed Pearl's hand, throwing it off her shoulder, "Why would I possibly be your ally?!"

Pearl stood up, not expecting the sudden burst of bravery. She gave a small chuckled, clapping her hands together.

"Well, aren't you a dauntless little mouse," she taunted.

"I'm not joining you! There's nothing you can do to make be betray the Gem!" she yelled again, taking a step back from the gem, but she just walked closer. She needed to make a break for it. If she could just get out of the bathroom, and quickly get to Steven...she glanced at the door. She was only a few feet away.

"No need to be hostile," Pearl said, another step towards her, "You just need a little incentive."

"You...you can't bribe me." Connie stated. She took another step towards the door. She was mentally preparing herself to start running.

"You know, for being a family of a private security guard, you house isn't hard to break into."

Connie felt a chill go through her spine. Pearl knew where she _lived?_

"You have such a lovely family, Connie. Loving parents...an adorable baby brother. What is he, two?"

"...One and a half."

"Do you know how fragile babies are?"

Connie felt tears coming to her eyes. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She wiped the water from her eyes, looking this _monster_ straight in the face. If she ran, she'd put her family in danger. She...she couldn't do that.

She was defeated.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, ilikehats2, and JohnnyBravo500 for reviewing. As always, it means a lot. Sorry the delay was so bad. It was busier then I though this week. But, the good news is I have a glorious nine days until my next job starts, so I can get a lot done in the writing-realm in the mean time.  
__As always, thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 9: To Be Bugged

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 9: To Be Bugged**

* * *

Steven sat at the table, staring off into the distance. Connie had insisted that he claim a table, while she order for the two of them. It was a simple enough request. How could he say no? The girl came back with their bowls of ice cream, placing one of them in front of Steven. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at it. It looked delicious. Chocolate ice cream, topped with strawberries, chocolate sauce, and... sprinkles?

"Oh, I normally don't get sprinkles," he pointed out. Connie jumped as he spoke.

"Oh, sorry! I guess my mind slipped," she said, almost too fast.

"It's okay! Pearl doesn't let me put them on. She says they're made with really gross ingredients," Steven laughed, then paused. He sighed. He reminded himself of Pearl, "But...she's not here, so I guess it's okay."

Connie nodded, "Yeah," she said weakly. Steven took a spoonful of the ice cream, about to take a bite.

"You know, sprinkles are made with really gross ingredients," Connie blurted out, a bit suddenly. Steven put the spoon down, "...At least, that's what my parents say."

"But they taste so good!" Steven replied, a smile on his face, "Besides, I'm Steven Quartz Universe. I'm a Crystal Gem! I'm not gonna be defeated by sprinkles."

"...You have a point, I guess." Connie nodded, looking down at her lap.

Steven picked up his spoonful, about to take another bite. But then, Pearl flashed into his mind. He remembered being at this very ice cream parlor, with her lecturing him on why not to get sprinkles. How she had read that they were made with ingredients that were awful to the human body. She didn't want him to ingest anything harmful. She wanted to protect him, whether it was from gem-related magic, or colorful food toppings.

At least, she used to. He clenched onto his spoon. He knew that Pearl was still out there, somewhere. The Pearl who protected him, and didn't impale him with a spear.

"...Pearl really wouldn't want me eating these," he commented, putting the spoon down. Connie looked up, a bit wide-eyed, "I mean...I really respect Pearl. She would want me to have ice-cream without sprinkles."

He put the spoon back in the bowl. Connie sighed, looking up to Steven.

"You know...I don't think Pearl would be mad," she said, giving him a small smile, "I think...I think she'd want you to do what...makes you happy."

Steven nodded, "That's a good point."

He picked up the spoon again, and without hesitation, he put the spoonful near his mouth. Then he noticed something.

"Hey! This sprinkle is black!" Steven exclaimed, "I've never seen a black sprinkle before. I wonder what flavor it is?"

"Licorice," Connie said, simply. Steven shrugged, staring at the sprinkle.

"A licorice flavored sprinkle," he pondered, "Cool!"

And with that, he ate the spoonful. A large smile crossed his face as it melted in his mouth. It was absolutely delicious.

"You're right. Pearl would want me to have this," Steven smiled, taking another spoonful. Connie simply nodded, and took a meek bite out of her ice cream. Steven couldn't help but notice her hand was shaking.

"Connie, are you alright?" She looked up at him.

"Fine," she quickly responded, eating another bite of ice cream. Steven frowned, and the two ate in silence. He noticed that she'd occasionally glance up, looking at his bowl of ice cream. He'd catch her stare, and she'd quickly look away.

"Are you sure?" He finally asked. She stood up.

"I'm not feeling to well," she said, "I'm...I'm really sorry, Steven."

Before he could even ask, she bolted out of the store. She was gone.

* * *

_Pearl grabbed Connie's hand, tracing over her fingers. Her hands were cold to the touch. It sent a shiver down Connie's spine. She felt Pearl place something in her palm. Connie opened her hand, looking at the object. She couldn't tell what it was. It looked like a small, black dot._

_"Place this near the Gems," Pearl said. Connie simply stared at the little dot. _

_"What...what does it do?" She asked, meekly. Pearl answered the girl with an unsettling smile._

* * *

Connie was absolutely disgusted with herself. She could feel tears flow down her cheeks. She felt like the absolute scum of the earth. She tried to assure herself that she didn't have a choice. That..._psychopath_ could have hurt her family. She did it to protect them. Yet, she couldn't shake the guilt from her system.

She found herself wondering the streets of Beach City. The light was quickly fading, as it was getting late. She bit her lip. Her parents would want her home soon. She was supposed to be home before it got dark.

Then again, it wasn't as if she had been a stand-up citizen.

She found herself passing an allyway. In the corner of her vision, she saw something. A faint glow. She noticed a soft energy coming from a glow. It felt like the oceans current, pulling at her.

The light transformed into the last person she wanted to see. Pearl. The gem gave her a wicked smile.

"What a melancholy little mouse," she commented. She took a quick step towards Connie, reaching her hand out, and wiping a tear from the girl's face. Connie looked down, not wanting to look at this _monster_, "I don't understand what you're so sad about. Disguising my little bug as a sprinkle? You're such a clever little mousy."

With a whisk of her hand, Pearl summoned a black sphere into her hand. She gently placed it to Connie's ear.

_"...Steven, where were you?" _It was slightly muffled, but it was a voice she recognized. Amethyst.

_"Connie came over, and we hung out...only, she left. She felt sick," _And that was Steven! "_Did you find her?"_

_"No," _That one was Garnet.

_"We're not giving up, though," _Amethyst spoke again, _"We'll find her Steven, don't worry."_

Pearl started to laugh. A cold, chilling laugh. She made the orb disappear, and smiled at Connie.

"The fools," Pearl chuckled, "They have no idea."

Connie sighed. She couldn't believe any of this was happening. Her heart was beating rapidly. She felt like she was going to throw up. Pearl grabbed her hand again, handing her something else. A small bottle, with a swirling black liquid inside. Connie stared at the item. It made her uneasy.

"What's this?" she asked. Pearl smiled, brushing the girl's hair behind her ear.

"You're reward," Pearl laughed, "Inside that jar, is just a little bit of magic."

"...Magic?"

"Yes. You can do anything with it, really. Summon animals, change your hair color, blow something up. It's up to you," Pearl explained, "Of course, you're only human. It won't last long, so use it wisely."

Connie nodded, slowly tucking the bottle away in her pocket. She had a feeling that this was all part of Pearl's agenda.

And she was right.

* * *

Pearl couldn't help but grin at her handy work. Humans were so easy to manipulate. It was almost sad at how simple minded they were.

Now, it was just a simple manor of getting the girl to drink the substance. She knew that Connie wasn't going to drink it on her own. The girl needed a reason to. She would only drink it if she had no other choice.

Pearl laughed. Now was where it would get fun.

* * *

Connie reluctantly made her way home. It was way past her curfew. Her parents were going to kill her. Not that she minded. In fact, she was looking forward to their punishment. She deserved it.

She looked up at her house, and realized that the lights were off. That was strange.

She slowly opened the door, and heard an alarming sound. Her baby brother was crying. Her sisterly instincts kicked in, and she went running towards her brother's room. She quickly opened the door, and gasped.

Lying on the floor was her mother, a gaping wound in her stomach.

"Mom!" She screamed running to her mom. To her relief, she was still breathing. Faintly. But blood was pumping out of her stomach, and she didn't know what to do. She was a twelve year old girl, not a monster.

And that's when she remember the vial of magic in her pocket. It donned on her. Pearl did this. She reached into her pocket, clenching the bottle. She wanted to throw it against the wall...but she couldn't. This could be her only chance to save her mom.

With shaking hands, she took off the bottle's cap, and drank the liquid inside. She didn't feel any different. She placed a shaking hand over her mothers wound. Nothing was happening. Connie's breathing increased. She didn't know how to work this. Was she supposed to say something?

And that's when a spark of black flickered from her magic activated. Connie smiled. Her trembling stopped, and her fear went away. She felt rejuvenated. She felt like her veins were flowing with _pure power._ It felt _wonderful. _She felt like she could do anything.

She sparks of black into her mother's wound, and to her amazement, the bleeding stopped. The wound was closing. She was_ healing._

Connie couldn't contain herself. She started to laugh. She laughed harder then she ever felt. This was the most incredible feeling. She couldn't remember a time when she felt this good.

She was _powerful._

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, JohnnyBravo500, and ilikehats2 for reviewing. I'll have the next chapter out in a couple of days.  
Thanks for reading!_


	11. Chapter 10: To Be Helpless

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 10: To Be Helpless to Stop a Fire**

* * *

The time was about 3:47AM.

Beach City was quiet. Most people were sleeping soundly in their beds. The few people roaming the city streets were intoxicated. There was no one around to see the girl near building. There was no one to see the power-driven smile on her face. There was no one to see the spark of magic flicker off of her finger. She was the only witness to her crime, viewing her handywork through the tint in her glasses.

The crowd only gathered once the deed was done, like moths to a flame. The culprit would simply blend into an oblivious crowd. They had no idea that this act of arson was the prelude to a series of chaos.

* * *

Garnet sighed to herself, as she looked at the ashes that used to be Fish Stew Pizza. Normally, the gems weren't ones to investigate the crimes of Beach City. Granted, if it was particularly gruesome, they were do their part to catch the culprit. However, most of the time, they had bigger fish to fry. Beach City was not their Gotham.

But this crime was different. This wasn't a fire caused by teenaged punks who want to watch the world burn. No, this was an arson caused by magic. She could sense the magical residue on the ashes. It wasn't hard to figure out who caused this. Whatever Pearl was planning, this fire was the start to it. The need to catch the crazed gem had become much more urgent.

Garnet's attention turned to the Pizza family. They stood in silence, staring at the remains of what was once their business. The Pizzas were a strong people. They were a family full of determination and resilience. Yet at that moment, Garnet had never seen them look so vulnerable. The red gem took a deep breath, and clenched her fists. She couldn't believe she allowed this to happen. She felt like a failure.

This wasn't the first time Pearl had gotten like this. They were able to defeat her before.

Garnet knew exactly what was different about this time. There was a reason they were struggling so much this time. They didn't have Rose anymore. Somehow, the Quartz gem always had a plan to stop Pearl. She had spent years studying Pearl's condition. The fact of the matter was, Rose had an insight into Pearl that the rest of them didn't have. It was an insight that they needed.

There was a special room in the temple that they had all referred to as Rose's study. The quartz gem spent countless hours in there, doing just that. She studied their enemies, desperately trying to find something that would help their cause. Garnet couldn't begin to count all the times Rose's knowledge had saved them. All of Rose's research was in that room. Unfortunately, Rose was the only one with the ability to access it. When Rose died, all of that information was lost.

Or was it. An idea crossed through her mind. Steven had Rose's gem. The youngest gem was already developing most of Rose's abilities. He was starting to be able to form her shields, and he'd been able to access other rooms in the temple exclusive to her. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to access her study.

It was worth a shot.

* * *

Steven stared at the temple door, his fists clenched. The key to helping Pearl lay past the entrance, and he was the only one who could access it. While he was determined to do it, he was also terrified. He still didn't have much control over his gem's magic. He barely knew how to activate his power, let alone make it do specific things. He looked down to his belly, staring at the pink gem.

"Activate," he commanded. Nothing happened. He flicked the gem, hoping maybe it would jump-start the ability. But still, there was nothing.

He looked to Garnet and Amethyst for some kind of an answer, but they had none. All he was met with worried glances. He was their only hope in being able to open the door, and he was letting them down. He felt horrible.

"I'll get it, I promise," he said, forcing a smile. He looked at the door, and took a deep breath.

"Quartz Gem Power Activate!" he yelled out, "Open this door!"

But still, there was nothing. Garnet and Amethyst quickly came to his side, placing comforting hands on his shoulders.

"It was a good try," Amethyst said, a large smile on her face. But Steven could see the disappointment in her eyes.

"I just need more time," he said, trying to be reassuring, "I'll get it. I was really close that time."

* * *

_"I'll get it. I was really close that time."_

Pearl sat in her cave, listening intently to the conversation. Connie did an excellent job in placing the bug, she could make out their conversations perfectly. The best part was that the gems had no idea of her little trick. It gave her the upper-hand. At the moment, what the gems had to say was very, very intriguing.

Rose's study. Pearl had to admit, as much of a nuisance as Rose Quartz had been, she was smart. She knew the power that came with knowledge, and thus, had become the most dangerous of the gems.

_"Why won't it open?"_

_"It's okay, Steven. Don't strain yourself."_

She couldn't help but laugh at their trouble. How frustrating it must have been to be them. That being said, she needed to keep a closer eye on this little development. As weak as Steven was, he was a wild card. If he was able to open that door, it would mean trouble for her.

_"It's hopeless! I can't do it! I can't do it!"_

Pearl smiled. From the sounds of things, she had a little more time before she had to deal with this threat.

She stood up, and walked out of her cave. Connie had made a marvelous little fire the previous night. It was about time she went to see the aftermath of her work.

* * *

Kiki Pizza stared at the remains of her family's pizzeria. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Her family had owned the store for as long as she could remember. Her father had dedicated his entire life into making Fish Stew Pizza a success. And now, without any warning, it was just gone.

Her father had always been a strong man. He was hardy. Any time anything went wrong, he would deal with the situation head on. But this was different. Kiki saw something she had never seen from her father before. She had seen him cry.

The rest of her family had left, but she had stayed behind. She couldn't tear herself away from the scene. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She wanted to desperately to wake up. She wanted to know that this was some awful nightmare. But it wasn't.

"Such a shame," a voice said behind her. Kiki turned around, and saw Pearl standing behind her. There was an uneasy grin on the gem's face. The gem took a step closer to Kiki, "My condolences."

Kiki nodded. She suddenly felt uneasy around Pearl, "Oh...thanks." was all she could bring herself to say.

"I would imagine that even with insurance, it will be hard to rebuild," Pearl continued, "Fish Stew Pizza is a good as gone."

Kiki didn't know what came over her. She clenched her fists, and in one solid movement, she punched the gem in the face.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" she exclaimed. Then she realized what she'd done. She wasn't a violent person, and yet, she had punched Pearl out of the blue. She looked down at Pearl, expecting her to seem angry at her...but the gem was laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kiki asked. Pearl pushed herself up, and smiled at her.

"You are," she replied, "Did that make you feel powerful? Did it make you feel any less helpless?"

Kiki was stunned. She didn't know what to say. A sinking feeling was building up in her stomach.

"You feel weak, because there is nothing you can do to save Fish Stew Pizza. And you're right."

Kiki clenched her fists again. She wanted to punch the gem again...but she couldn't. The gem was right, she was weak. Pearl took another step closer.

"But...what if there was a way you could?" Pearl opened her hand, revealing a small vile. "There is a small amount of magic in here. With this, you could rebuild Fish Stew Pizza...you could be strong."

Kiki found herself slowly grabbing the vile. She stared at the contents. There was something sinister about it. She had a feeling that she shouldn't even touch the stuff. But her family was destitute without Fish Stew Pizza. Without the pizzeria, they had nothing.

She refused to sit by and do nothing. She wanted to be strong.

Without another option, she drank the vile.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, JohnnyBravo500, jasper-jinx, ilikehats2, and bendergurl123 for reviewing. I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last update. Both of my summer jobs were about an hours drive away from me, and it took a lot out of me. I barely had time to do anything, but I'm back now. I promise, not to leave you with any more hiatus's like that again. Hopefully, this was a good chapter to make up for it!_

_Thanks for reading and staying with me through all of that. Ya'll are truly wonderful._


	12. Chapter 11: To Be Captured

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 11: To Be Captured**

* * *

Garnet took a deep breath. She couldn't ignore the sinking feeling she had in her stomach.

Fish Stew Pizza had magically rebuilt itself from the ground. As nice as this was for the Pizza family, there was something very wrong. Buildings don't just magically rebuild themselves.

Except, this one had. The strange thing was, she could sense the same magical residue she had sensed when it had been destroyed. Whatever force had caused the building to burn, was the same one that caused it to rebuild itself. It didn't make any sense.

"What are you planning, Pearl?"

* * *

Pearl stood at the edge of the town, looking out into the ocean. She had accomplished a lot in the past few days, and the gems were no closer to catching her. She was right under their noses, but they still had no clue. They were truly pathetic without Rose.

Unfortunately, it appeared Garnet was beginning to catch on. From what Pearl knew, the red gem was investigating Fish Stew Pizza. As helpful as the bug inside Steven was, it had it's flaw. She could only overhear the conversations happening around the young gem. It didn't do much good when one of the gems went off on her own.

But it was alright. Her power was growing with every minute. She had Connie and Kiki under-control as her obedient little attack dogs. Soon, there would be no stopping her.

"Pearl!" A desperate voice called out. Pearl turned around, and saw Connie standing behind her. The girl was shaking, and she was sweating profusely. Her breathing was heavy, and she looked to Pearl with pleading eyes. Pearl smiled. It appeared as if Connie had used up most of the magic she'd given her.

She fun thing about this particular strain of magic, was that it was addicting to humans. The more they used it, the more dependent on it they became. The less magic in their system, the less they'd be able to function. At the moment, it appeared Connie had used up most of her magic. She was going through withdrawal.

"Please..." Connie begged, her voice trembling, "I-I-I need more. I need more!"

Pearl walked up to the girl, a snake-like smile on her face. She brushed her finger against the girl's cheek.

"My poor little mousy," Pearl cooed, producing another vile. Connie quickly grabbed for it, but Pearl raised it just out of Connie's reach.

"But I have something very specific I need you to do with it. Can you do that?"

Connie's eyes never left the vile. She nodded.

"Anything."

* * *

Garnet walked around the building, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Why would Pearl destroy a building, only to rebuild it? Even being as crazy as she was, it didn't make any logical sense. There was something she wasn't seeing. If she could just investigate a little more...maybe she'd find what they needed.

She looked around cautiously, and walked up to the door. She slowly reached her hand out to it. For all she knew, this could be one giant trap.

She gently placed a finger on the door handle, seeing if anything would happen. Nothing did. It was safe. She carefully opened the door, and walked in.

Everything looked the same as it had been. If nothing else, everything looked cleaner. No one would suspect that just a few hours earlier, the building had been a pile of ashes. However, there was one thing to indicate it's past. Everything smelt like soot.

On top of that, everything had a magical residue. The further into the building she walked, the stronger the residue was. Whatever magic was used to do this, it gave her a very uneasy feeling. She clenched her fists, preparing to summon her gauntlets if she needed them. She couldn't shake the feeling this was a trap.

_Thump_

She heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Her heart jumped a bit. She took a deep breath, and started moving towards the sound. If this really was a trap, she was walking straight into it. However, it wasn't as if she had a choice. They had almost no leads on finding Pearl. She needed to do everything she could to find their wayward teammate, no matter how risky it was.

She walked into the kitchen and looked around. Everything was silent. It was an eerie silence that indicated something terrible was about to happen. She clenched her fists. A fight was coming.

That's when Garnet felt it. A wave of magical energy hit her, the same magical energy that caused whatever happened to the building. There was someone in here with her. She quickly looked around her, but could see nothing. Whoever this was, they were hiding.

"Come out and face me!" Garnet demanded. As soon as the words left her lips, she heard a giggling. It wasn't Pearl's, but it was familiar.

Out of the shadows came the last person she expected to see.

"Connie?"

The girl stood in front of her, a deranged grin on her face. Garnet couldn't hide her shock. What had Pearl done to her?

"Hi Garnet," Connie laughed, "Betcha didn't expect to see me."

This was one of the few moments where Garnet had no clue what to do. She could take down Connie easily, that was a given. However, Connie was still human. One hit from the red gem's gauntlets would pulverize the girl. Connie started to laugh.

"What...afraid of little old me?"

Before Garnet knew what was happening, Connie started to charge towards Garnet. The girl raised her hands, with shadow claws coming from her finger tips. The red gem realized she had no choice but to fight the girl, and so she summoned her gauntlets. Connie leapt into the air making a move to slash at Garnet.

"I'm sorry, Connie," Garnet said, before she swiftly met the girl with a fist. However, it didn't feel like she had hit a person. It felt like she punched water.

She heard laughter coming from behind her. Garnet looked, and sure enough, Connie was standing behind her. But if Connie was right there, then what did she punch?

Pearl looked back to her fist. The thing she punched had turned pitch-black. It began loosing it's shape, and started melting around her fist. Garnet tried to shake it off, but it was no use. It now had her gauntlet completely surrounded. Soon, it began climbing up her arm. Garnet did her best to hide the sense of panic that was washing over her.

"You know, it's funny," Connie said, taking a step closer to Garnet, "I've always been kinda jealous of you gems...I mean, you're so cool and powerful. But now I'm actually _beating _one!"

Garnet scowled, "You haven't won yet."

"Oh, I guess I haven't..." Connie said. It was then that a large shock came from the thing on her arm. Garnet screamed, as the energy pulsed throughout her body. She sank to her knees. Connie walked closer to the gem, the grin on her face growing.

"Now I've won."

It was the last thing Garnet heard, before everything went black.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, Darksword165, and JohnnyBravo500 for reviewing. See, I told you I'd start getting the chapters out sooner. Once again, I greatly appreciate you guys reading this story. It really means a lot!_


	13. Chapter 12: To Open a Door

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 12: To Open a Door**

* * *

It had been two days since they last heard from Garnet. The last they'd heard of her, she told them she was investigating something in the city. It wasn't something that would take very long. At first, Amethyst thought that maybe the red gem had found a clue regarding Pearl. However, the more time that passed, the more Amethyst felt like something bad had happened.

Amethyst found herself at Fish Stew Pizza. This was where Garnet was investigating. As Amethyst looked around, she noticed that there was a closed sign in the window. That was a bit strange. Sure, the building had gone through a lot in the past few days, it was fully functional. Maybe the Pizza family realized how sketchy the whole situation was...but then again, magic had never stopped them before.

"Amethyst," the purple gem saw Jenny. She couldn't help but notice the Pizza sister's appearance. She was wearing a sweatpants, a sweater, and her face was completely clean of makeup. Normally, Jenny was one of the most stylish people in the city.

"Jenny," Amethyst greeted. Jenny took a deep breath. She looked scared.

"Have you seen my sister?"

This news took her by surprise, "Kiki's missing?"

"She's been gone for three days...she's not the type to run away."

Tears started to stream down Jenny's face. Amethyst clenched her fist. She had a feeling that Garnet and Kiki's disappearances were linked. Amethyst took a deep breath, and forced a smile.

"We'll find her, I promise."

She just hoped it was a promise she could keep.

* * *

Garnet couldn't say that her current situation was pleasant. She took a deep breath, and looked around her surroundings. She was in a makeshift prison of some kind. Black bars surrounded her. They were thin, and seemed flimsy enough. However, the moment she touched one, they sent a large, painful shock throughout her body. She calculated that if she attempted a jail-break, the damage would cause her to retreat into her gem. This wasn't a situation that brute strength alone could get her out of.

And so she did the only thing she could think of to do. She took a deep breath, and sat down. Getting out of this situation depended on her keeping her temper.

"Garnet," a familiar voice cooed. Garnet looked up, and saw the gem she'd been trying so hard to find. A devious smile sat on Pearl's face, as she approached the bars. She was mere inches away from the bars. Garnet clenched her fists, "Why the long face? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"No," was Garnet's response. Pearl faked a look of surprise.

"No? Haven't you missed me?"

"I've missed the real Pearl. Not this lunatic?"

It was at that moment Pearl let out a howling laugh.

"Lunatic?" She took a step closer to the bars, looming over Garnet, "Garnet, you have to understand something." She lowered herself to the red gem's level, her smile growing bigger. She whispered, "I am the real Pearl."

Garnet looked into Pearl's eyes, and instantly wished she hadn't. Her eyes were piercing, but hollow. It truly was the gaze of a mad-woman. Garnet couldn't help but wonder if the Pearl they knew was gone for good.

* * *

Amethyst walked back to the temple. She had found out a few key things in her investigation.

No one in the Pizza family had seen Kiki since Fish Stew Pizza had rebuilt itself. This provided a link to Garnet and Kiki's disappearances. That being said, she still had no clue as to what to do. She wasn't the mystery solver of the team.

The whole situation was extremely frustrating. She wanted to do everything she could to make things the way they were supposed to be, but she didn't know how.

As she walked into the temple, she noticed Steven. He was on his knees, his hands clutched around his belly. He had not given up his attempts to open Rose's study. Amethyst let out a sigh, and walked up to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a smile. She may have been feeling hopeless, but she could at least act strong for Steven.

"Any luck finding Garnet?" the young gem asked. Amethyst shook her head.

"No...but it's Garnet. She's probably fine."

* * *

_"No, but it's Garnet. She's probably fine."_

Garnet let out a look of pure surprise. She was able to hear the conversation back at the temple perfectly. How long had Pearl been listening in on their plans?

"Aw, they're worried about you," Pearl laughed. Garnet clenched her fists.

"It's not me they should be worried about."

At her statement, Pearl summoned her spear. She thrusted it between the bars, pointing just inches away from Garnet's throat.

"I disagree." Was all the crazed gem said. A smile was no longer painted on her face. Instead, she had the look of a killer. The red gem took a deep breath. She had to remember that she was dealing with a psychopath. Garnet simply lowered her chin. "That's what I thought," Pearl said, pulling the spear away.

Meanwhile, Amethyst and Steven's conversation continued.

_"I hope you're right."_

* * *

"I hope you're right," Steven sighed. Amethyst patted him on the back.

"Of course I'm right!" she boasted, "I don't care what Pearl says, I'm always right."

Steven laughed at her statement. As grim as the situation was, Amethyst was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. She was putting on her brave face. It was comforting. He gave her a small smile.

Steven turned his attention back to the door. He wanted to open this door more than anything. He took a deep breath, putting all his concentration in opening the door. He reached his hand out to it.

"Open!" he called out. But there was nothing. Steven sighed. He was absolutely hopeless.

"It's okay, Steven." Amethyst said, rubbing the boy's shoulder. Steven shook his head.

"No, it's not!"

* * *

_"No, it's not!"_

Garnet could feel her heart break, as she heard Steven's yell of distress. Pearl started to howl with laughter. Garnet wanted nothing more then to punch that smirk off of her face.

"Don't laugh at him," Garnet commanded. Pearl tilted her head to the side, smiling.

"Why not? It's pathetic," she giggled.

"Steven't not pathetic," Garnet stated. Pearl sat down, leaning her face closer to the bars.

"You and I have two very different definitions of pathetic," she taunted. Garnet simply closed her eyes. Pearl was right. Things were not looking good for the Crystal gems.

However, Garnet refused to lose hope. Amethyst was a capable warrior, and Steven had more potential then any of them knew.

She believed in them.

_"Don't worry, Steven. You'll get it, I know you will!"_

* * *

"Don't worry, Steven. You'll get it, I know you will!"

Steven shook his head at Amethyst's words, "No, I won't."

"Yes you will!" she pushed, "You're Steven freakin' Universe! A door is no match for you!"

Steven briefly glanced at Amethyst, before looking at the ground. He tucked his knees to his chest. Amethyst sighed. He really was loosing hope.

"I'm sorry," Steven sobbed. Amethyst didn't know what to say. She had never seen Steven look so desperate before. She took a deep breath. Steven had always been the heart of the group. He was a source of light, even in the darkest of times. If he lost hope now, then things would never go back to the way they were. She did the only thing she could think of to do. She grabbed him by the shoulders, and turned him to face her.

"Pull it together!" she yelled. Steven's eyes widened at her reaction. Amethyst realized that she'd never yelled at him before.

"I can't..." he said, he voice faint.

"Yes you can!" she continued, shaking him a little, "I believe in you! Garnet believes in you! But that's useless unless you believe in you!"

Steven seemed aw-struck by his words, "You guys...believe in me?"

"Of course we do!" she said, letting him go. He took a deep breath, and stood up. He walked over to the door, and placed his hand on it. He closed his eyes, putting all his concentration on opening the door. But it still wasn't enough. The little confidence he had left was diminishing quickly.

"Come on, Steven!" she cheered, but she could see he needed just a little more encouragement, "Do it for Pearl!"

That must of been the exact thing he needed to hear, as in that moment, Steven's gem started to glow. Amethyst gasped. He was finally doing it!

"Yeah!" she cheered. The wall started to glow pink.

They did it.

* * *

Garnet couldn't hide her smile. She couldn't believe it. Steven had finally opened the door.

"I knew you could do it, Steven," she whispered to herself. The battle was starting to turn in their favor. However, they weren't in the clear yet. There was still a problem.

Pearl knew of their success.

"Well, this changes things," she said. Coldly. Calmly. She began to walk out of the room. Garnet didn't like the look on her face. Amethyst and Steven were in danger, and they didn't even know it.

But Garnet wasn't afraid. Whatever was to come, she had no doubt.

They would win.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder365 and JohnnyBravo500 for reviewing. There will only be about eight chapters left. We're getting close to the end, guys.  
Thanks for reading!_


	14. Chapter 13: To Close a Door

**Control &amp; Chaos  
****Chapter 13: To Close a Door**

* * *

Pearl summoned Connie and Kiki swiftly to her side, a small grin on her face. She had not anticipated this turn of events. She had woefully underestimated the youngest of the gems. At first she was furious by his triumph...but now she was ecstatic about it. It seemed that the gems were finally ready to come out and play.

"Are you ready to have some fun?" she asked, looking over her little minions. She pulled out two vials, dangling them in front of their faces. Their eyes grew wide and pleading. "Go to the Gem's temple and cause a much mayhem as you possibly can."

"Anything," they replied in unison, their eyes never leaving the viles. Pearl chuckled, placing the vials in their desperate hands. They quickly opened them, and ingested the power inside.

"When all is done...bring me their gems."

They nodded, and in a flash, they were off.

Pearl laughed. Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

Amethyst gasped as she walked inside the study. It was everything she imagined it to be. The pink walls were lined with various books and papers. However, what took Amethyst by surprise were the flowers growing out of cracks in the floor.

"Rose," she said, a small smile on her face. If Amethyst were to be honest, this was the first time she'd felt hope in a long time. She looked down to Steven, who was absolutely enchanted by the place. He walked by the walls of the room, tracing it with his fingers. He was taking it all in. The whole thing was almost overwhelming for her. She could only imagine how he was feeling.

Still, Amethyst had a lingering hunch that they weren't supposed to be in here. Nevertheless, she tried to ignore it. They had work to do.

"Look for any books or papers labeled 'Pearl'," Amethyst said. Steven nodded, and began scurrying through the books. To be perfectly honest, Amethyst didn't really know what they were looking for. For all she knew, Rose could have labeled her research with some kind of a code. She hoped this wouldn't be too difficult.

As they were looking, Amethyst heard a rumbling sound. It sounded like a hungry stomach.

"Oh...sorry," Steven said, "I was so focused on opening this room, I forgot to eat."

Amethyst looked over to Steven, raising her eyebrow. She felt bad for the kid. Steven never missed a meal unless he had to.

"Go get some food," she said.

"Thanks!" and with that, he ran out of the room. A grin crossed the purple gem's face, as she went back to sorting through the various books. It was odd. She had been Rose's teammate for centuries, and she'd never realized how much the pink gem studied.

She picked up a book, and opened it to the first page. _An In-Depth Analysis of Centipeedles _was written in Rose's handwriting. Amethyst sighed, and placed the book down. That was not what they needed.

_CRASH_

Amethyst looked up, hearing a large noise.

"Steven, are you oka-" Her sentence was cut short, as she was punched in the stomach. The hit knocked her down, and she looked up to see who her assailant was.

Standing above her was Kiki Pizza.

* * *

Steven was determined to eat as fast as he could. He was going to go in the kitchen, eat his snack, and get back to helping Amethyst. He would have held off on eating, but opening that door took a lot out of him. He had a feeling he would be useless if he was starving. He grabbed an apple from the fridge, and took a large bite out of it.

Without warning, he felt someone tap on his shoulder. He swallowed his apple, and turned around. Who he saw was the last person he expected.

"Connie?" he asked. But then he looked in her eyes, and instantly knew something was wrong. She wore a large, unnatural smile. It was a look he'd seen before. It was the face Pearl wore, right before she stabbed him.

Before he could react, Connie grabbed his arm. She lifted him up with unnatural strength, and threw him against the wall.

* * *

Amethyst clenched her fists. She didn't know what was causing Kiki to attack her, but she had a pretty good guess. The deranged look in her eyes, the creepy smile on her face...this had to be Pearl's doing.

With a deep breath, Amethyst summoned her whip. She would fight first, ask questions later. She pushed herself up, and got into a battle stance.

Kiki was fast. The moment Amethyst was ready to go, the girl charged her. She swung a kick at the purple gem. However, Amethyst was prepared. She ducked at the last second, avoiding the hit. Kiki was quick to recover. She bent down, and swung another kick, this time at Amethyst's feet. The purple gem was unable to avoid the hit this time, and she came crashing towards the ground.

She looked up, to see Kiki standing over her once again. The girl lifted her hand to the air, and summoned a giant hammer. She lifted it, and aimed it down directly towards Amethyst's head. The purple gem quickly scurried out of the way. She just barely avoided being pulverized.

"So, that's how you want to do this?" Amethyst growled. She didn't give Kiki time to prepare another attack. She thrashed her whip at the girl, causing it to wrap around the girl's ankle. Amethyst pulled as hard as she could, and Kiki lost her footing. She thrashed as she fell, causing her head to hit the ground first. The impact was enough to knock her out, at least temporarily.

Amethyst pushed herself up. That was easier then she anticipated. Amethyst took a deep breath. Things weren't calm just yet. It occurred to the purple gem that Kiki might not be alone. Steven could be in danger.

"Steven?" Amethyst yelled out, but she heard no response.

* * *

Steven crashed into the wall, and fell to the floor. He groaned. His whole body hurt from the impact. He opened his eyes to see that Connie was approaching him.

"Connie..." he said, slowly pushing himself up, "Why are you doing this? What's going on?"

Connie laughed. Normally, he loved the sound of her laugh. However, now it simply sent chills down his spine.

"Isn't it awesome?" She asked, "I have magic now...just like you!" She lifted her hand. The floor beneath him started to turn pitch black, "Wanna see something cool, Steven?"

"Not really..." Steven replied, looking down at the floor. He glanced at the door, hoping that Amethyst would come out and help him. Alas, there was no sign of the purple gem. Steven turned his attention back to Connie, "Please Connie! You don't have to do this!"

"But it's so fun!" she exclaimed. She snapped her finger. Shadow-like masses shot out from the floor, wrapping themselves along Steven's limbs. They pulled him down to the ground. Steven struggled in their grasp, but the more he struggled, the tighter they were. Connie laughed, and turned her attention back to Rose's study, "Is Amethyst in there?"

"Leave Amethyst alone!" Steven exclaimed. He thrashed in his bindings, but it was no use. Connie laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes," she smiled, and began walking towards the entrance. Steven started to panic. Amethyst had no idea what was coming her way. He wanted to warn her, but he couldn't. Steven could feel tears start to come to his eyes. He had already lost Pearl, Garnet was no where to be found, and now he was about to loose Amethyst. He had never felt more helpless in his life. He needed a miracle.

Suddenly, his gem started to glow. A vibrant, beautiful pink glow, more vivid then he had ever seen.

Right before Connie reached the entrance, the door slammed shut. However, the door still glowed a brilliant, pink hue.

"What?" Connie exclaimed. She reached out, and touched the door. A blast of light flashed from the door, and surrounded girl. Connie screamed.

When the light faded, Connie was trapped in a bubble. A small smile crossed Steven's face. That was amazing.

He couldn't help but wonder...did he do that?

* * *

Amethyst ran towards the door, determined to retrieve Steven. However, when she reached the entrance, she found that the door was closed.

"What?" she exclaimed. She clenched her fists. This wasn't good. With a scowl, she charged the door, banging her fists against it. She needed to get out of here!

But it was useless. Once again, Rose's door was closed.

She was trapped.

* * *

_Thank you JohnnyBravo500, SpaceWonder368, Darksword168, bonehunter6, and 123lionclan for the reviews! Ya'll are awesome.  
There probably won't be another chapter until about Friday, as I have some things to take care of before school starts.  
Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	15. Chapter 14: To Be in Withdrawal

**Control &amp; Chaos  
Chapter 14: To Be in Withdrawal**

* * *

Amethyst punched the door as hard as she could, and yelped as her fist made contact. The attack did nothing but hurt her hand. Of course, it was a desperate move to begin with. She had the sinking feeling that Steven was the only one who could get her out. She hoped he wasn't in a perilous situation.

She heard a shuffling sound on the other side of the room, and quickly turned around. Kiki groaned, but her eyes remained shut. The girl had not yet recovered from her fight with the purple gem, luckily for Amethyst. However, she was bound to wake up eventually. That being said, Amethyst had tied up the power-crazed girl with her whip as a precautionary measure. Her weapon was sturdy, and made entirely of gem magic. In theory, it wouldn't be something that Kiki could escape from.

Or so Amethyst hoped. She didn't know how much power was infused into Kiki. If she broke out of her bonds, they would have a very nasty fight on their hands.

Amethyst sighed. She realized that the door wasn't going to open. She went and sat down at a table, looking through some of the books. If she couldn't get out of the room, she might as well take advantage of the opportunity and try to read up on their situation.

* * *

Steven looked around the room, feeling a bit relieved. Although the situation wasn't ideal, he wasn't as hopelessly dead as he was before. On one hand, Connie's shadows were still wrapped around his limbs, and he couldn't move. On the other hand, Connie was trapped inside his bubble, and she couldn't move. They were equally immobile.

Connie was more frantic about about the situation. She was punching, kicking, scratching, sending energy blast towards the bubble. She was desperate to break free, but nothing she did could get past it. Steven was a bit proud of himself. He may have not known anything about his magic, but it was strong.

"Let me out!" Connie screamed.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Connie," he said, a smug grin to his face. Truth be told, he was only saying that to sound tough. He legitimately didn't know how to free her from the bubble. Not that he would, in this situation. He just hoped that he didn't accidentally pop the bubble.

* * *

Amethyst was truly amazed at how much Rose had been able to write. She would be impressed if she didn't have to dig through all of it. However, just as all seemed hopeless, there was a book that stood out to her. Tucked deep within a shelf, there was a thick book with a light pink cover. She picked it up off of the shelf, and sure enough, there was a simple word written on it.

Pearl.

A smile crossed her face. She had a feeling she found what she was looking for. She sat back at the table, and flipped to the first page. However, as she did, a pang of guilt overcame her. Maybe she wasn't supposed to know what was inside.

If she didn't know any better, it almost seemed like Rose had been hiding this knowledge from them. After all, this room was impossible to get to. Rose was a cautious woman, who prepared for all possible scenarios. Why would she make such knowledge so hard to get to? It didn't make sense. She shook her head. She probably just wanted to keep it out of the wrong hands.

That was the best explanation she could come up with. She ignored the thought, and began to read.

_Pearl's situation seemed to occur after a fight with a particular monster. The monster was a gem-energy we have never faced before. At the moment this paragraph is written, we haven't faced anything like again. It's movements were fluid, but erratic. What was most peculiar, however, was what made up it's body. It could create new features in an instant, growing anything from an arm, to a mouth. If a limb were to be removed, it would simply regenerate it. The removed limb would not retain it's shape. It would simply turn into a black liquid._

Amethyst sighed. She remembered hearing the story of the fight. It was interesting, but nothing helpful so far. Why couldn't this be easy.

She heard another groan come from Kiki, followed by the sound of movement. Amethyst looked towards the girl. She was awake, and she looked angry. She was struggling against her bindings. Amethyst smiled at her.

"Morning," she said, "Did you have a nice nap?"

Kiki thrashed against Amethyst's whip, but she couldn't seem to get past it. Amethyst laughed.

"Trust me, I'd rather fight you then read," she said, looking back to her book, "But reading is more important, for once.."

* * *

Steven realized that one of them was going to escape before the other. It was only a matter of time before one of them could broke free. If Steven escaped first, he could maybe free Amethyst, or perhaps figure out a way to get Connie back to her normal self. However, if Connie escaped first, she would likely kill him.

He wasn't good at handling dire situations. Normally he didn't have to deal with these things by himself. He always had one of the gems by his side, who could do something to make it work. However, now he was alone. He needed to think.

"Let me out!" Connie screamed again, thrashing herself against the bubble. He tried to tune it out. Connie's attacks were getting more desperate. He had a sinking feeling she'd eventually get out. He needed to hurry.

He knew that if he moved, Connie's shadows would just get tighter. Even the slightest twitch of his limbs would strengthen them. It was frustrating. He couldn't think of a single plan that didn't require him to move.

"Let me out!" Connie yelled again, this time sounding more desperate. She slammed her fists against the bubble's wall, "Let me out! Let me out! Let me out let me out let me out!"

It was then Connie let out a final scream, and fell to her knees. The shadows around Steven disappeared. He was free.

* * *

The longer she read, the more Kiki thrashed. Her movements were getting more frantic, and more desperate. Amethyst assumed she was simply impatient to get out. After all, if she was in a magic-induced frenzy, she would also get antsy being tied up. Amethyst just tuned her out, and stuck to reading.

"Let me go!" Kiki finally shrieked, but this one took Amethyst by surprise. It was a more desperate plea. Her thrashing stopped, and she started shaking. She looked like she was in pain. Amethyst slowly stood up, and took a cautious step towards the girl. She felt this matter was something that needed to be investigated.

"...Kiki?" she said slowly. The girl looked up to the purple gem with bloodshot, begging eyes. Her breathing was heavy. She was starting to look pale.

"I need more," she said, "I need more!"

Amethyst gave a slow nod. She had no idea what was going on, but she figured this was a side effect of some kind. She sat back down, flipping through the pages of the book. If she was lucky, there would be something in here to help the girl.

* * *

Against his better judgement, Steven ran towards Connie. Something had happened to her. Maybe her sanity came through and she let him go. However, Steven was afraid she was hurt.

"Connie!" he called, standing on the other end of the bubble. She looked like she was in pain.

"I've used to much," she muttered, "I need more...I need more!"

"More what?" Steven asked. Connie tucked herself in a ball, not looking at Steven.

"...Magic," she said, simply.

"Magic?" Steven asked. She frantically nodded.

"Pearl gave it to us...I need more!"

Steven let that bit of information sink in. Pearl gave her magic. Pearl was the reason she was like this. Pearl was the reason she attacked him...and Pearl was the reason she was in so much pain. Steven clenched his fists.

"Have you been with Pearl all this time?" he asked. Once again, Connie nodded. Another big piece of information.

"...Does Pearl have Garnet?" He asked, afraid of the answer. However, Connie didn't respond, "Connie, this is important...does Pearl have Garnet?"

"If I tell you, she'll be mad," Connie said, tears forming in her eyes, "She won't give me more magic."

"Connie...I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me anything!"

Connie hid her head in her hands. She was a mess. Steven sighed. He didn't know what was worse. Her trying to kill him, or her being like this. He didn't know what to do. He would give anything to make her better. He wanted her to be the happy Connie he knew and loved. He wanted this whole situation to be fixed. The only one he could think of who could fix her was Pearl.

That's when a thought came to him. Connie knew where Pearl was. They had been looking for Pearl for so long, and now, the answer was right in front of him.

"Connie, I have an idea how to make you better," Steven said, "If you answer my questions...I'll take you to Pearl."

Connie looked up at him, surprised by his deal. She looked around.

"But what if she's mad..."

"Alright! Then...you only have to answer three of my questions. If you answer three of my questions, I'll take you to Pearl?"

Steven placed his hand on the bubble, while Connie simply stared at it.

"Deal?"

After a pause, Connie nodded, and reached her hand to his.

"Deal."

* * *

_Thank you everyone 123lionclan, Hornetzilla78, SpaceWonder368, JohnnyBravo500, bonehunter6, ilikehats2, Guest, and Guest 2 for reviewing. I am so sorry it took so long to update. I had things for school I had to get done, and I got sick. But I promise. I ain't gonna leave ya'll hanging. You are so wonderful and have stayed with me this far. Thank you so much!_


	16. Chapter 15: To Be Informed

**Control &amp; Chaos  
**

**Chapter 16: To Be Informed**

* * *

Steven knew he needed to ask his three questions wisely. This was his golden opportunity to learn as much as he could about Pearl.

Pearl was always hounding him about how he needed to be prepared before going into any situation. It looked like he was now taking her advice.

"What is Pearl planning?" Was his first question. It seemed like a smart thing to ask. If they knew her overall scheme, they could know exactly what they needed to do to stop it.

"I-I-I don't know," Connie replied, her voice trembling ever so slightly, "She tells me what t-to do, and...and I do it. Then she gives me magic." Steven nodded, slightly disappointed. Although, he understood. It was a fair enough answer. But now he only had two more questions.

"How did you get this way?" Was his next question, although he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. He was afraid of the horrible thing Pearl might have done to her. But if he knew the specifics, he might be able to help her.

"...She gave me a vial of black liquid...magic, she called it," Connie answered, "And when I drank it...I've never felt more alive...I feel so weak right now..."

Steven nodded. He would do anything to cure her from that stuff, but he didn't think he had the capabilities. But it was okay. He'd figure it out.

He only had one question left.

"Does Pearl have Garnet?" It was the question that was lingering most on his mind. Connie looked at him, a hint of fear in her eyes. After some hesitation, she simply nodded.

"Yes."

* * *

"Useless!" Pearl screamed, and slammed her spear against the wall. A large clang echoed throughout the cave, and the rocky walls cracked on impact. This could not have gone any more downhill. Not only had Connie been defeated by the little gem, _she was answering his questions.  
_

She was furious. How the little twerp had managed it, she had no clue. She let out another screamed, and pierced the wall again with her spear. Another clang. Another crack. Pearl scowled. Destroying the wall wasn't satisfying enough. It didn't scream in agony when she hit it. It didn't have the satisfying squish of piercing flesh.

Pearl took a deep breath, calming herself. She was going about this the wrong way.

Maybe she would pay Garnet a visit.

* * *

Amethyst was at her wits end. All of this studying was making her head hurt. Rose had managed to collect a boatload of information about Pearl's condition, but unfortunately, it wasn't written in any particular order. It was simply a mess of notes and paragraphs scattered randomly throughout a journal. They were Rose's observations as they happened. Normally Amethyst was fine with disorganized things, but this was the one time she wanted something to be arranged systematically.

She glanced over to Kiki, who was starting to look much worse. She lay on the ground, curled up in pain. Her breathing was heavy, and occasionally, a part of her body would violently twitch. Amethyst was getting worried for the girl.

She flipped another page in the notes, reading through them.

_As I observed before, the power inside Pearl grows with time. As the power grows, she appears to develop different abilities. However, I have reason to believe that she can transfer some of her magic to other beings._

Amethyst smiled. This passage looked promising. Maybe she would finally find something that would be useful to the situation.

_Humans, under the influence of this magic, appear to gain the same madness that is inflicting Pearl. This further proves that this magic, whatever it is, inhibits its host's sanity._

Amethyst sat up, taking note of the passage. This confirmed that Pearl had induced Kiki under the same madness that infected her. She kept reading.

_With Pearl, the magic seems to grow as time goes on. However, in humans, it seems to drain. When humans are drained of this magic after being exposed to it, they appear to go through some form of a withdrawal._

That definitely explained what was going on. Amethyst had to admit, this book was worth the find. This was the first time she felt informed of the situation. Maybe she was on the brink of finding something that could help them.

_Unfortunately, I have not yet found how to cure a human's withdrawal symptoms. That being said, I have observed that the symptoms seem to go away within 48 hours of exposure. As long as a human is on bed rest, they should be fine._

Amethyst sighed. So much for being able to help Kiki. She looked once more at the young girl. The kid looked like hell. She had a rough couple of days ahead of her.

With nothing left for her to do, she flipped to the next page. But that's when thing's started to look different. The page looked crumpled, and there were random marks of inks splattered around it. Sentences were started, but were crossed out. Amethyst felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. There was a paragraph on the page in tact, and so she read it.

She wished she didn't.

_I made a mistake. I made a horrible mistake. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

* * *

As Garnet heard the footsteps of Pearl approach her, she took a deep breath. She had a bad feeling in her stomach. The last thing she knew, was that Pearl sent her power-crazed minions after her teammates. While it would be nice to be reunited, she didn't want it to happen there.

"Garnet," Pearl said, the name rolling off of her tongue. There was a playful tone to her voice. It gave the red gem a chill down her spine. Garnet clenched her fists. She hoped that the crazed gem hadn't come here to gloat.

It was then that Garnet felt something wrap around her legs. She looked down, and saw two shadows coming out from the ground, coiling themselves around her lower limbs.

"What is-" she couldn't finish the sentence, as the shadows let out a faint glow, and sent a powerful shockwave throughout her body. Garnet let out a scream, and sank to her knees. The shock wasn't enough to send her back to her gem, but it was enough to do damage.

"Isn't this fun?" Pearl taunted, "I have an idea of how much damage your body will take before it retreats. So we can keep at this for a long time." Pearl let out a menacing laugh. The shock ended, leaving Garnet curled up on the ground. She clenched her fists, and looked up at her former teammate. Pearl gave her a sinister smile.

"Why now?" Garnet said, trying to catch her breath from the attack, "Why are you doing this now?"

Pearl leaned in closer to the bars, looking straight into Garnet's eyes, "I want blood." Came her response. Without breaking eye contact, the shadows sent another shock wave throughout Garnet's body. Another scream escaped her lungs. The shock ended. Garnet clenched her fists. She was completely helpless in this situation. In her prison, she couldn't fight back. It was infuriating.

"Pearl," she started to plead, but stopped herself. No, this wasn't Pearl. It was a monster. It was an old enemy that they had faced before. A dangerous old foe, who had the blood of gem and human alike on her hands, but it wasn't Pearl. Her teammate was inside that monster somewhere. Garnet took a quick breath. She wouldn't give up to this _psychopath_. A smile crossed her face, and the red gem started to laugh.

"Is that all you got?" Garnet asked. Pearl glared, and another shock went pulsing throughout Garnet's body. She let out another scream. But the moment it ended, Garnet started to laugh again. "I've been here for days. Why torture me now?"

"Because I feel like it," Pearl replied. Garnet shook her head.

"You're feeling threatened," the red gem said, beginning to push herself up from the ground, "The last thing you did was send your minions towards my team...but they lost, didn't they?"

The shock came again, but this time, it was more intense. Garnet screamed louder, unable to help herself. But the fact she was able to gage this kind of a reaction told her she was right. Garnet smiled.

"You're weak," Garnet taunted

"Shut up!" Another shock. Another scream. Another smile.

"Face it. We're stronger then you could ever hope to be."

"Stop talking!" Another shock. Another scream. Another smile.

"Be ready, Pearl, because we're going to defeat you. Like we always do."

"_Stop talking!_" Another shock. Another scream. Another smile.

"Even now, with all your power, you cannot silence me."

"I told you to, _stop talking!"_

Two more shadows shot up from the ground, and pierced through Garnet's arms. Garnet cried out in pain. The shadows the pushed Garnet closer to the bars, just barely touching them. Garnet could feel the energy radiating off of them. Pearl leaned close to the bars, and stuck her arm in the cell. She grabbed onto Garnet's chin, and tilted it up.

"_I'm not weak_," she growled. She took off Garnet's glasses, and threw them against the wall, shattering them. "You're going to stay here, in this cell, and watch as I destroy everything you hold dear. I will kill Amethyst, and I will kill Steven_._ And then I'm going to kill you."

Her nails dug into Garnet's chin. She could feel liquid start to ooze out.

"You may have won in the past, but I've had my fair share of victories," a smile started creep across her face. She sent another shock flowing through Garnet's body. Garnet screamed in agony. But still, she was defiant.

"Name one that mattered," Garnet said, slow and steady. Pearl simply looked at the tortured gem. She took her nails out from under Garnet's chin, and examined the blood on them. With a smile, she licked the liquid from her fingers.

With a voice calm and clear, Pearl spoke four horrible words.

"I killed Rose Quartz."

"What?!" A familiar voice screamed from across the room.

The two gems looked, and saw that Steven stood at the room's entrance.

And he had heard every word.

* * *

_Thank you Hornetzilla78, SpaceWonder368, bonehunters6, ilikehats2, and JohnnyBravo500. I have been looking forward to writing this chapter since I started this thing, and hear it is. I had a lot of fun writing it. Hopefully you all enjoyed it!  
Thanks for reading!_


	17. Chapter 16: To Be Mad With Power

**Control &amp; Chaos  
**

**Chapter 17: To Be Mad With Power**

* * *

Steven felt his body go cold, as he heard the words escape from Pearl's mouth. T

_"I killed Rose Quartz."_

"What?" He yelled out. Pearl turned around to face him, previously unaware that he was there. She gave him a sickening smile.

He had always been told that his mother had died in childbirth. Gem bodies were not made for childbirth, or so the story had been stated. But now, if Pearl was to believed, that was all a lie?

"My my, look what the cat dragged in," Pearl taunted.

He clenched his fists, and his heart was pounding. His breathing increased, and his head hurt.

"Steven!" Garnet yelled out to him, "Get out of here. It's too dangero-"

Before she could finish the sentence, Pearl sent another shock through Garnet's body. The red gem collapsed to her knees. Steven felt his legs start to shake. Everything was becoming so overwhelming.

It was then he felt something grab his shoulder. He looked over to see Connie. He had completely forgotten that she was with him.

"Steven," she said, her body trembling. He heard the footsteps of Pearl approaching them echo throughout the room. Each footstep caused his fear to multiply. Steven looked up to Pearl with wide-eyes. He knew he should run, but he couldn't bring himself too. He was frozen.

She soon stood above the two, looking down at them with a crooked smile. She turned her gaze to Connie.

"Poor, poor little mousy..." she cooed. She bent down, gently brushing the girl's cheek, "You really are pathetic, aren't you."

"I-I-I'm sorry," the girl stuttered.

"It's alright," It was then that Pearl grabbed Connie by the neck, and sent a shockwave throughout Connie's body. The girl screamed in pain.

"No!" Steven cried out. Before the young gem could process what he was doing, he tackled Pearl away from Connie, knocking her to the ground. Steven gasped as he realized what he had done. He looked at Pearl's face.

"Well, aren't you brave," she said.

"I..."

"It looks like little Steven wants to fight," she said, knocking him off of her body. He fell to the floor with a thud. Pearl stood up, and loomed above the boy, "Well, who am I to turn down a challenge?" She raised her hand to the air, before pausing. She looked down at Connie. Steven could see an idea cross her mind. Pearl laughed, as her hand started to glow.

An energy shout out from the ground, and started to encase Connie. It looked like an hour glass, with black sand at the top. Connie stood helplessly at the bottom.

"What are you doing?" Steven demanded. Pearl cackled.

"It's simple," she replied, "Defeat me, and I retreat back to my gem, and run the chance of becoming the pathetic vanilla gem you all know and love," she said. She looked over to Connie's prison, "However, if you don't beat me in timely manor..." she snapped her fingers, and the black sand started to pour down.

"Connie!" Steven yelled, looking up to Pearl with fury in his eyes. She smirked.

"So, little gem, what are you gonna do?"

Steven stared at Connie's imprisonment, watching as the sand started to fall. He look backed to Pearl.

"...Did you really kill my mom?"

Pearl simply laughed, but it was the answer Steven needed. He charged the deranged gem.

* * *

Amethyst yelled in frustration, throwing away the book. She felt tears start to form in her eyes. She now understood everything. She knew there was a reason Rose made it so difficult to access their library. She didn't want them to know the horrible truth.

"Why?" the purple gem screamed. She sank to her knees, and started pounding at the floor.

It was then that she heard a shuffling coming from the other side of the room. Amethyst looked over, and saw Kiki, sprawled out on the ground. She took a moment to herself. Kiki was still suffering. Garnet was still mission in action, Steven was outside facing who knows what...this horrible little secret wasn't the most important thing right now. Her friends were in danger.

Her priority right now was to escape the library. With a deep breath, she stood up, and summoned her whip. She charged the door's entrance, slashing at it with her weapon. It didn't leave so much as a mark.

"Come on!" Amethyst yelled, trying the assault a second time. Once again, the whip bounced back, leaving no damage. Amethyst scowled.

"You think you're so great? You're just a wall!" she screamed, putting all her force in attacking it. But still, it resulted in nothing. The purple gem howled in frustration, putting all of her strength into her attack, cracking her weapon at the wall one last time. The whip hit, and bounced back, the force causing it to slip from Amethyst's hands. She ran over to pick up her weapon.

She sighed in frustration. Of course this wall wasn't breaking. Rose made it to be a fortress. The pink gem created it to prevent people getting in. Of course it would be just as hard to get out.

"Rose," Amethyst said, taking a deep breath, "Please...I have to get out of here."

She didn't know what she was trying to accomplish by talking at the wall, but she was at a loss.

"I need to save my team," Amethyst said, placing her hand on the wall's surface. That's when she felt it, a sort of energy swirling from inside. Her eyes widened. The magic in the wall...was it responding to her?

"Please," she pleaded one last time, "Let me out."

And then it happened. The room started to rumble. The walls were opening.

She was free.

* * *

Steven charged at Pearl, determined to take down the deranged gem. He knew that the odds were against him. Pearl was swifter and stronger. She was a deadly gem warrior, with hundreds of years of combat experience. He was a twelve year old who could only summon his shield half the time he wanted to.

But he didn't care. No matter what it took, he _would _win. He refused to let such an evil be victorious.

He was fighting for Garnet. He was fighting for Connie.

He was fighting for his mom.

"Steven!" Garnet cried out, "Look out!"

Steven looked down, and saw that there were shadows coming out of the ground. They were just like the ones that subdued him back at the temple. They started to aim towards him.

With as much might as he could, he jumped out of their path, landing on his side. Steven looked up, and saw that the shadows were changing their course, and starting to come his way. There was no way he could avoid them in time.

"Gah!" he cried out, covering himself with his arms. But his gem started to glow. A protective bubbled formed around him. The shadows crashed into the bubble, and before Steven knew what was happening, the shadows ricocheted towards Pearl.

"What?" She yelled out, before the black masses crashed into her. The gem let out a shriek, as the shadows entered her body, before collapsing on the floor. Steven gasped. How did he do that? Was taking down Pearl really that simple?

However, Pearl's laughed echoed through the room, and knew that wasn't the case. The corrupted gem stood up, but there was something different about her. A black energy seemed to be radiating from her body. She walked towards Steven's bubble, before standing in front of it, looking down at the young gem inside.

"Is that all you got?" she taunted, "You're gonna have to do better then that. After all, you're running out of time."

Steven looked over at Connie's prison. The black sand was already at her knees. He looked back at Pearl, and noticed that her eyes had turned pitch black.

"Wanna know something funny, Steven?" she asked. She raised her spear, and pierced through Steven's bubble. It shattered instantly. "You're little attack did nothing more then give me more power."

The black shadows come out of the ground, and wrapped themselves around Steven's limbs. They lifted the boy up into the air, and threw him. It sent him crashing into Garnet's cage. A shock when surging throughout his body as he hit the bars. He screamed.

"Steven!" Garnet cried out. Pearl walked up to the two, picking Steven up by the shirt. Steven tried to struggle, but it was no use. He had lost this fight.

"Well, that was disappointing," she sighed. She looked Garnet straight in the eyes, and winked, "But now comes my favorite part!"

Before the red gem had time to react, Pearl threw Steven to the ground, and impaled the boy through his chest.

Steven screamed, before going limp. He retreated into his gem.

"Steven!" Garnet screamed. She summoned her gauntlets and punched at the prison, only for the cage to shock her. She collapsed to the ground, her breaths heavy. She tried to get up, but found that she couldn't.

She glanced up at Pearl, realizing she was helpless.

They had lost.

But then the sounds of shattering glass echoed throughout the room. Pearl turned around, and saw that Connie's prison had been shattered.

Where the prison had been, Amethyst stood, Connie slung on her shoulder. The purple gem smiled, placing Connie down at the edge of the room.

"Hey crazy!" Amethyst yelled out, "Didn't forget about me, did you?"

The battle was not yet over.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, Hornetzilla78, bonehunters6, JohnnyBravo500, and justreads101 for reviewing. I think that might have been my longest hiatus yet. Sorry about that, guys. This has turned into the most insane semester of my life! But I've managed to get some free time to do this. I promise, I haven't forgotten about this! Thanks to everyone for sticking through. You have no idea how much it means to me._

_Only five more chapters to go!  
And once again, thanks for reading!_


	18. Chapter 17: To Be Caught Off Guard (2)

**Control &amp; Chaos  
**

**Chapter 18: To Be Caught Off Guard (2)**

* * *

Amethyst took a deep breath, a surge of adrenaline surging throughout her body. She clenched her whip, looking at the situation. Garnet was imprisoned. Even if the purple gem was somehow able to break her free, she probably wouldn't be up to fighting. Pearl had caused Steven to retreat into his gem, making him particularly vulnerable. If anything happened to his gem...she didn't want to think about it.

And finally, the rescued Connie, slumped by the wall. The poor girl was recovering from whatever horrible curse Pearl had inflicted upon her.

This was not an ideal situation for Amethyst. On top of having to defeat Pearl, she had to keep those three safe. This completely clashed with her fighting style. She was at a disadvantage, and her deranged foe knew it.

She looked at her foe. Pearl looked her straight in the eyes, tilting her head ever-so-slightly. She licked her lips.

"You always were the brave one, weren't you, Amethyst?" Pearl taunted, "Blazing into situations no matter how hopeless it is. Some might call it admirable."

"Oh, shut your stupid pie-hole," Amethyst exclaimed.

"If you insist," Pearl shrugged, and raised her spear. The battle was one.

Pearl sent a string of shadows slithering towards Amethyst. Amethyst stood her ground, and thrashed her whip at the dark masses. It slowed their speed, but they didn't stop coming. Before she could react, one of them grabbed onto her ankle. She cursed. This wasn't a great start to this battle. The shadow started to squeeze hard. If she didn't react fast, she was done for.

Maybe she could just slip away. With a deep breath, she transformed herself into a small bird. She slipped right past the grip of the shadows, as she flew up towards the ceiling. The shadow was quick to catch on, and was quickly after her. Amethyst realized to her horror that the shadow was moving faster then she was. This was bad. Transforming into something faster would take too much time, it would grab her by the time she finished. Amethyst flinched right as the shadow was about to wrap around her...

But it stopped. Amethyst looked around. She was near the top of the cave. Had she found the shadow's range?

"What's the matter?" She yelled out, looking at Pearl, "Come on, P! Come get me!"

Pearl responded by summoning her spear, and charging towards Amethyst. Before the purple gem could have any time to react, Pearl leapt in the air. She raised her lance, and like a batter with a baseball, she hit Amethyst out of the air. Amethyst spiraled down to the floor, and hit the ground with a heavy _thud._

Amethyst felt a sharp pain throughout her body, as she morphed back to her original form. Pearl landed beside her, a chilling laugh emitting from her body. The deranged gem kneeled besides Amethyst, pulled her up by her hair, holding the purple gem's face at eye level with hers. Amethyst yelped.

"Pathetic," Pearl commented, "Of course, what did you really expect. That you would burst in here and be the big hero?"

Amethyst laughed, "You got me. That's exactly what I thought. And I still will."

Just because she was in a rough situation, didn't mean she couldn't keep her pride. At this point, it was the only thing she had going for her.

"We'll see about that," Pearl snarled. She pulled the purple gem's hair harder, a show of dominance. Amethyst yelped. Pearl grinned. Pearl brought up her foot, kicking Amethyst in the chest, a direct blow to her gem. Amethyst screamed, as it sent a shockwave throughout her body. She quickly glanced down...it didn't appear Pearl left any damage. But her physical form was tired. She didn't know how much longer she could take this.

It was then that she felt something wrap around her legs. Amethyst looked down. Pearl's shadows wrapped themselves around her legs.

It's okay, she thought. She would use the transformation trick again. She would get out of this. However, she stopped herself. If she transformed herself again, things would simply repeat. Pearl would simply wack her out of the air, and she would be in for even more of a beating.

No, Amethyst needed to figure out a way to finish off Pearl quickly. In one single move. Transforming into a bird wouldn't cut it. The purple gem examined the distance between her and Pearl...it wasn't enough for her whip to reach. Besides, any attack she made with her weapon would be countered by Pearl's shadows.

She was at a loss. The only other ability she could use would be transforming, but how could she get that to work? Strategy was never her strong suit.

"What? No struggle? No fight?" Pearl shouted. She raised her lance, twirling it in her hands, "Give up."

Amethyst looked at Pearl's twirling weapon. If she didn't think of something soon, that lance would make a new home inside her body. One good blow from that, and she would be sent back to her gem.

Unless...Amethyst clenched her fists, a inkling of a plan beginning to form.

"At least I'm not a scaredy cat!" Amethyst yelled out. She mentally kicked herself for the awful taunt.

"Excuse me?" Pearl responded. Amethyst smiled.

"You heard me," the purple gem responded. Pearl's shadows started to climb up her body, wrapping themselves against her limbs. They began to constrict her.

"Say that again," Pearl demanded.

Amethyst struggled for breath, but she wasn't going to give up now. She could do this, "Gladly," the purple gem couched, "You're so scared, you're letting your shadows fight for you," the shadows squeezed harder "You know I'm stronger then you...that's why you won't get close."

The shadows sent a large shockwave coursing throughout Amethyst's body. She screamed.

"Coward!" Amethyst yelled, "Shocking me from a distance...not that I blame you. You know I'd win."

Pearl clenched her fists, and marched towards the purple gem. She sent another shockwave coursing through Amethyst's body, this was stronger. Amethyst's screams echoed the cavern. She sank to her knees

Pearl laughed, approaching Amethyst. She grabbed her chin, her nails digging into Amethyst's skin, and forced her foe to look up at her.

"I'm going to enjoy finishing you off."

Amethyst started to laugh. Pearl glared at her.

"What's so funny?"

Amethyst looked up at Pearl, a large smile on her face.

"You've always been so observant," Amethyst said, "I...I just can't believe you fell for my stupid plan."

Amethyst transformed. Three large spikes emerged from her body.

And all of them impaled Pearl.

The cave went quiet. Pearl's eyes widened, as she lowed her head. She looked at her impaled body. Her dark eyes widened.

"N-n-no," she stuttered. She looked to Amethyst. Her glance was weak, but murderous.

"Sorry, P," Amethyst spoke.

"You...you...you..." Pearl stuttered, but then went silent. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. The echo of something hitting the ground rang throughout the cave.

All that was left, was a single white Pearl.

It was over.

* * *

_Thank you SpaceWonder368, Hornetzilla78, bonehunter6, LadyOfThePetals, MarcelineFan, Daisy, StevenFan, Elsa the Night Fury, and Stohne Rohse for reviewing.  
Once again, I'm sorry for taking such a long time to update. A lot of things went down this semester that I wasn't prepared for, and I have been busy trying to make it through. However, it's break now. I am officially free from College. Until January, that is._

_Now, needless to say, there has been a lot that has happened in Steven Universe since I last updated. So, in the last few chapters of this, some things might not be quite cannon._

_Once again, thank you for waiting so long. I hope it was worth it. Thank you so much!  
Kimblee_


	19. Chapter 18: To Be At Rest

**Control &amp; Chaos  
**

**Chapter 18: To Be At Rest**

* * *

Garnet could only watch as Amethyst's bodies turned to spikes. She could only listen as a sickening squish as Pearl was impaled. She took a moment to process what she had witnessed. She observed Pearl's stunned expression as the corrupted gem realized her defeat. And within seconds, the corrupted gem dissipated, retreating back into her gem. With Pearl's departure, Garnet's prison disappeared. She was free at last.

She walked over to Steven's gem, and gingerly picked it up. She examined it, making sure there was no visible damage. It was slightly dirty, but there didn't appear to be any dangerous cracks. There was that, at least. Steven would return to them in due time.

She cautiously walked over to Amethyst, who was understandably shaken from the experience. Her breaths were heavy, and her gaze lay upon Pearl's gem. Garnet stood behind her in silence, thinking of the words to say. Comfort was never her strong suit. Back in the old day's that had been Rose's job. After Rose disappeared, the task was taken up by Pearl. Even more recently, Steven had become a source of comfort to the team. But they weren't here. It was all up to her.

"You did what you had to," Garnet said, picking her word's carefully. She wasn't sure if it was what Amethyst needed to hear, but it felt right, "She's in there. She'll recover and return to us, back to normal."

"Hopefully," Amethyst said, her voice distant. Garnet placed a gentle hand on Amethyst's shoulder.

"It's over," she said.

Amethyst picked up Pearl's gem, gently cradling it in her hand. She took a deep breath.

"Garnet, while you were gone...Steven and I found Rose's library. We found her research."

"That's good," Garnet replied. Amethyst shook her head.

"No, it's..." her voice trailed off. It was then, that Garnet witnessed something rare. Amethyst began to cry, "Nothing. Let's just go back to the temple, okay?"

Garnet looked at her teammate, and gave a small, sympathetic nod. She presented her hand, and helped Amethyst up.

That battle was won, but it wasn't over yet.

* * *

Steven looked around him. His body started to feel tingly and warm. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but pink. It was strange, but there was a familiar aura about the place. He couldn't help but think that he had been here before.

He had been in this place for a while. He didn't know why or how, but this was where he was. A part of him felt like he should look for a way to escape, but every time he did, something inside him told him not to.

_It's not time to go._

He began to walk around, though he supposed that "walk" wasn't the right word. Drift. Drift was a better word for this.

He drifted in a direction, though whether it was north or south, east or west, he didn't know. He didn't even know if the compass rose applied to this strange place. Whatever direction it was, he drifted. He didn't know why he picked this particular direction. It felt right. He felt like there was something there.

But as he drifted, he realized he was right. There was something over here, he could tell. He couldn't explain what it was, but he knew it was there. That decided it. This was the way he would go.

* * *

It had been two weeks since everything had happened. Two weeks since there world had come to a temporary peace. They had taken that time to set things right around Beach City. Connie and Kiki were returned to their homes. There was, unfortunately, no known cure for the curse Pearl had placed on them. The gems explained to the families that the girls were going to be very ill until the last of the curse left their bodies. But it wouldn't be permanent. They would, in time, be back to their normal selves.

The families were saddened by this news, but they held no hard feelings towards the gems. They were grateful that their girls came home alive. Soon, their family would be reunited, just as it once was.

Amethyst found herself back in Rose's study, re-reading the book on Pearl. She re-read all of the finer details of Rose's observations. The pink gem had certainly been a thorough one. It was painful, but it wasn't as if Amethyst had anything else to do.

She also re-read the last few pages of the book, the pages that hid the horrible secret. Rose had found out something terrible about their kind, something she didn't want the rest of them to know. Amethyst was so confused as to why Rose made it so hard to access the library, but after reading the discovery, Amethyst understood.

She felt like she should tell Garnet, but something told her not to. They had enough to worry about without worrying about _that. _Perhaps when this mess with Pearl was permanently figured out, she would share this knowledge. But in the meantime, it would be a secret between her and Rose.

She turned to the next page in the book, and found it was different from the rest. There was simply a sentence, followed by a lone word.

_Right bookcase, back of bottom shelf.  
Rosacae_

Amethyst raised her eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean?

"Right bookcase, bottom shelf..." she repeated. She looked around the room, picking out the bookcase furthest to the right. She examined it. It looked to be just like any other ordinary bookcase. What was so special about it, she wondered? Other then the fact that it was the least organized shelf of it all. Various items and scribblings were scrawled around the shelf. It reminded Amethyst of her room. But she didn't see why this messy bookcase was so important...

But that's when she saw it. A small glimmer coming from the mess. She moved away clutter, and pulled out a shiny pink box. She attempted to open it, but found that it wouldn't budge. It was almost as if the box was welded shut. Was this even what she was meant to find?

That's when she remembered the last word of the page.

"Rosecae?" Amethyst said, questioningly. But as she spoke, the box felt warmer in her hands. There was a small click, and the box popped opened, revealing a small, pink dagger. There was a note at the bottom.

_To whom it may concern,  
If you have found this, then I've probably passed before given the chance to use this. It also means that you've read my research regarding Pearl. You know my observations about her condition, and you know the great tragedy I have uncovered.  
But most importantly, if you've gone through all of this trouble, then you know Pearl. You know how strong and brave she is. You know she can be a bit...picky, at times, and can be tough to handle. But you wouldn't change it for the world, would you. You know the world is a darker place without her light.  
If you've read my research, you know the great tragedy that often befalls gems. But we can prevent one more tragedy to be added to the list. We can save her._

"We can save her," Amethyst repeated, a small smile forming on her face.

_This has not been tested, so the future is uncertain. However, I'm certain we can do it. You can do it! I have left specific instructions below. It's in your hands now._

_Sincerely, Rose_

As Steven continued to float, he felt closer to whatever it was he was supposed to find. He didn't know what that something was, but part of the journey was the excitement of finding out.

And that was when he saw a silhouette. A tall, slender, graceful figure. Steven blinked. Was it...could it be Pearl?

A small smile formed on his face, as he continued to drift towards the figure. As he got closer, it appeared to look to him.

"Pearl!" he called out, but as he spoke, the figure started to fade. He blinked. Maybe there never was a figure there. Perhaps he was starting to hallucinate.

It was then that a black dot started to crowd his vision. It appeared in front of him, hovering around his field of vision. He laughed.

"Hey, little fella. Whacha up to?" He asked. The dot continued to dance around his vision, playfully. Almost as if it was trying to entice him.

Steven slowly reached his hand out to it, wanting to touch it with his finger. The dot stopped moving, as if to make it easier for him.

"Steven, stop!" A loud, booming voice echoed. He froze in his place, looking around. Who said that? It was then that he started to feel warm. Like he was being wrapped in a warm blanket. It felt nice.

"Why can't I touch it?" he asked.

"It's dangerous," the voice replied, "But don't worry. You're safe as long as you don't touch it. Besides, your time here is almost done."

"My time?" he asked, "I get to go back home? Back to my friends?"

"Yes, the voice said. It was then that he started to feel warm. Like he was being wrapped in a warm blanket. It felt nice. "I love you, Steven. Goodbye."

And with that, Steven woke up.

* * *

_Thank you Hornetzilla78, SpaceWonder368, Guest, bonehunter6, Jashalot, Guest, Oerlikon, MarcelineFan, and LadyOfThePetals for reviewing. We're almost there, guys! Once again, thank you for reading, and thanks for reviewing. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!_


	20. Chapter 19: To Be Reckless

**Control &amp; Chaos**

**Chapter 19: To Be Reckless**

* * *

He woke up in his bed, gently tucked under a blanket He blinked, rubbing his eyes, looking at the space around him. He realized he was in his own bed, in his own room. He was home.

He felt oddly refreshed. The last time he felt like this was when...he came out of his gem. That's right, Pearl had...he shook his head. His sense of peace instantly becoming overwhelmed with everything that had happened.

Pearl had gone crazy. She hurt Connie. He had hunted her down...and she admitted she had killed his mom. But he was waking up now. He was in his bed. When Pearl defeated him, everything seemed relatively hopeless. The fact he was waking up in his bed meant everything was okay, right? Did the other gems stop Pearl, or was it all some sort of horrible dream?

He needed answers.

"Hello!" he yelled out, "Garnet! Amethyst! ...Pearl?"

As he yelled, the doors to the temple began to open. Garnet came running out, and looked up to him on the bed. A large grin crossed her normally stoic face.

"Steven!" Garnet exclaimed. She ran up to his bed, and embraced the boy in a hug. Steven felt the warmth of his protectors body, a sense of security overwhelming him, before he hugged her back. He smiled.

"You're okay," she said, reassuring both him and herself. Steven nodded.

"Where are the others?" Steven asked. Garnet sighed.

"Amethyst is around somewhere, but she's safe," Garnet replied, "Pearl hasn't come out of her gem yet."

Steven took a deep breath and nodded. Everything was fine. Everyone was safe. For now, at least. But he still had many questions. Would Pearl be normal when she returned? How did the others defeat Pearl? Was Connie okay? Did Pearl actually kill his mother?

He opened his mouth, preparing to ask, but stopped. This was, since this entire situation had begun, that Garnet looked to be at peace. His questions could be answered at any time. For now, he found it was best to enjoy the moment.

But their peace was soon interrupted. The sound of a door opening, as Amethyst came charging into the room.

"Garnet!" she exclaimed. She stopped in her tracks as she looked up to Steven's bag. Her eyes lit up, as she saw the youngest gem member safe and sound. She gasped, "Steven!" she charged up to the bed, and embraced the gem. She held him so tight, he could almost not breath. Steven laughed.

"Hey, Amethyst," Steven laughed, hugging her back.

"What did you want?" Garnet asked. Amethyst dropped her hug, her demeanor turning serious.

"I...I think I know how to fix Pearl...permanently."

She presented the box to Steven and Garnet, and opened it, revealing Rose's dagger.

"By stabbing her?" Garnet asked, questioningly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Not Pearl, but the monster inside her."

"That's impossible," Garnet said, bluntly, "Pearl's monster is trapped inside her gem. The only one who can go inside Pearl's gem is Pearl."

"...While I was in my gem, I thought I saw Pearl." Steven blurted out. The other two looked to him.

"What?"

"I was floating around, and I saw something...it looked like Pearl."

Amethyst pulled a note out of her pocket, and handed it to Garnet.

"This was attached to the dagger...it has instructions on how to do this," Amethyst nodded. Garnet unfolded the note, looking at the instructions. She began to read them.

_"While it's never been tested per-say, I have come to the conclusion that one retreated gem can access the space of another retreated gem, in areas of high gem-magic_ concentration."

Garnet looked up to the note, and to the dagger.

_"Once inside Pearl's space, the monster should be in range. This dagger is crafted with pure light energy. Theoretically, stabbing it with this dagger should cause it to dissipate entirely."_

"Just like that? The monster would be gone?" Steven asked, eagerness in his voice. Garnet sighed.

"In order to do this, one of us is going to have to retreat into our gems," Garnet pointed out. There was an uncomfortable silence, as the three of them realized what that would mean.

"I'll do it," Amethyst said, "I mean, I go into my gem a lot. I'm used to it."

"No," Garnet said, "I'll do it."

"What about me?" Steven piped up. The two sharply turned to him, narrowing their eyes.

"Absolutely not," Garnet said.

"Sorry, Steven...but it's too risky," Amethyst said, a gentle tone not normally used. Though that wasn't the only reason the two gems wouldn't allow it. They had seen Steven retreat into his gem enough for a life time.

Steven sighed, not wanting to take no for an answer. He clenched his fists, but did not argue Garnet's authority. After all, he knew not matter how much he argued, Garnet wouldn't let him.

"I'll go," Garnet said, "I can handle it."

"No, lemme do it!" Amethyst said, "I'm the one who found out to do this. It should be me."

"I said _no," _Garnet growled.

As the two gems continued to argue, Steven's eyes fell on the dagger. It was gorgeous, exactly the kind of thing he expected his mom to have. Even though it was a weapon, there was a certain aura coming from it. A calming aura.

He wished he could be the one to wield it. That small dagger was the key to curing Pearl. He thought about all the times he had with Pearl. All the times she comforted him when he was sick, all the times she made him laugh. All the times she fussed over the littlest things. She had done so much for him. And now they had a chance to help her. He couldn't just sit by and hope for the best.

He slowly reached out his hand to the dagger, unbeknown to the bickering gem. His hands gripped onto it, and he felt something empowering about the coldness of the blade. He took a deep breath, and sure enough, the other two didn't notice him take it.

He took a deep breath. He was going to do this. Now, he just needed to figure out a way to get back into his gem, before the other two noticed. If he did, then the other two couldn't stop him.

Unfortunately, that meant he had to injure himself enough to actually do the deed. He wasn't sure if he would be able to do that much without getting their attention.

Unless...he had an idea. A very stupid idea, but it was an idea.

He slipped away from the two gems, climbing off of the bed. He quickly ran across the house, over to the kitchen.

He just hoped this worked.

"Amethyst, I'm not letting you do it," Garnet barked.

"Why not? I'm perfectly qualified!"

"I don't care," Garnet said, "I'm going, and that's final."

It wasn't as if Garnet didn't know Amethyst was perfectly qualifed. She was. She was more than capable of handling this situation. But this was new ground for all of them. This has never been attempted by any gem, ever, and if this went wrong...she didn't want to think about it.

However, their conversation was cut short by the sound of a familiar yelp. Steven. It was then that garnet noticed that Steven wasn't between them anymore. She looked across to where she heard the sound come from, but she didn't see him. She looked to Amethyst, who was just as confused by the situation.

Amethyst's eyes widened, as she looked down at the box. The dagger was no longer there.

"Oh no..." she gasped. Garnet clenched her fists, as she realized what was happening.

The two gems rushed to the kitchen, trying to sort out what Steven did. They quickly found their answer, seeing a fork sticking out of a plugged in toaster.

And sure enough, a pale pink gem lay neatly next to it.

"That idiot!" Garnet exclaimed. She felt a rage come over her. Both at Steven, for being that reckless, and at herself for not noticing. Amethyst abnormally serious, as she picked up Steven's gem. She looked up at Garnet.

"He has no idea what he's getting himself into!" Garnet continued. She slammed her fist into the toaster, knocking it onto the ground. It shattered.

"There's nothing we can do about it," Amethyst said.

"If he gets hurt in there in there, he'll..." she paused, taking a deep breath. She didn't realize that her arm was starting to tremble, "If something happens, he can't regenerate. He'll be gone, permanently."

Amethyst looked to Steven's gem, gently cradling it in her hand.

"Being angry doesn't help," Amethyst said, "The best thing we can do is help him."

Garnet took a deep breath, and nodded. She was still infuriated, but being enraged didn't help the situation.

"You're right," she said. She straightened herself, "But when he gets back, he's grounded."

* * *

_Thank you Guest, SpaceWonder368, Oerlikon, LadyOfThePetalsand, and Dalekz universe for reviewing. We're almost there. Just two more chapters! Once again, thanks for all of the positive feedback and support. You guys mean the world!_


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